The Waiting Game
by MoonlightGardenias
Summary: Pride was always an issue for Kate.When she falls ill while taking care of Claire and Shannon, Jack is faced with feelings and questions he wishes he could ignore. Can the cure for the 'Goodnight Syndrome' be found in time?New Summary Jate.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:So basically,this is my first Lost fic...I've been toying witha few ideas for a while now, ****and decided to write them down...Thanks to Katy.**

**Disclaimer:You know, the part where I say I don't own the chracters, or the show.**

**Summary:Some things are different than on the show...Like for instance, Shannon is still ****alive. And the hatch has/had a hallway that they discovered, with several rooms that make ****up the "sick zone"...It'll make sense later. Most of the characters will be used, but it'll mostly ****center around Jack, Kate, Shannon, Claire, Sun, Charlie...well, you get it?**

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_It's that in-between state, where you're awake but not really 'with' it. Your vision is fuzzy, and you __can hear things and react, but only in slow motion. Your eyes get jerky, and all your muscles relax __so you can't hold your pencil. And they would just...fall asleep and not wake up. That was what Jack __called the Goodnight Syndrome, known to all others as well...the sickness._

The single, solitary flame from the candle cast a shadow across the room. Kate layed wearily on the mattress, trying to find a solace.

She knew her shift was coming soon, and with that, she'd have to face them again. Their eyes, asking questions to which she didn't have answers.

She didn't mind caring after the sick. After all, she'd befriended most of them. But what scared her was the look in their eyes. One of sheer desperation. One that had the slightest gleam of hope, the slightest wish that everything would turn out okay.

The island had turned everyone upside down, had caused everyone's lives to turn in a new direction.

Suddenly, different things mattered.

Kate's mind drifted to Jack. He was the one they all counted on. The one that everyone thought could save them all. When Claire fell ill, he'd been the one to administer any medication. He'd helped carry her to the hatch. He'd been on the team to assign shifts. The 'sick zone' as it was called, couldn't be crossed by anyone who hadn't already been exposed.

Of course, everyone had been exposed somehow. But the ones who had been closest to the sickness were the ones to look after the ones who had fallen ill.

There was Claire, who, while obviously trying to improve her health was only worried about baby Aaron.

There was Shannon. Shannon, who had always seemed to be the pampered one of the group was now suffering as well. Several of the Others had become sick, but had wilted away before they even got a chance to find any valuable information.

"Kate?"Sun said from the doorway, breaking Kate's concentration.

Kate turned towards her, extending her legs on the mattress. "My turn, huh?'

Standing up, Kate made her way towards Sun.

"Are you sure you're up to watching them?You do not look too good yourself."Sun said, eyes full of concern.

Smiling wearliy, Kate nodded. "I'll be fine."She said, grabbing her bag from against the wall. "How are they?"

"Claire is showing signs of improvement...but Jack doesn't want her to sleep..atleast not yet. Shannon..."Sun said, her eyes drifting past her. "She looks as if she's just harboring...waiting for a chance to leave.I made a paste from the fruits I found...something for them to eat.But..."

The two shared a silent moment.

"Oh...Jack said to bring water.To make sure that they aren't dehydrated."

Kate nodded, grabbing several bottles of water from the box, placing them in her bag. Stopping in the doorway, she turned around. "Try and get some sleep."

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Knocking on the door down the hall, Jack allowed her in. She found him kneeling by Claire's bedside. "I brought the water you asked for."Kate said, trying to be quiet.

Shutting the door, she walked further in the room. "Where do you want me to put it?"

"On the shelf over there...there's a cup over by Shannon's you get it and pour her some?

The problem is they need to stay hydrated, but what with the limited supply..."

Jack let his sentence drift away, watching Kate's actions. Something about her just seemed sullen, or weary. But then again, ever since everyone had fallen ill everyone was.

Walking to Shannon's bed, Kate knelt down. "Shannon?Shannon, it's Kate..."

Struggling to open her eyes, Shannon studied her face registering in her mind who it was. "Kate..."

"Shh..."Kate whispered, moving the cup towards Shannon's mouth. "You need to drink...Here...can you lift yor head?"

The room fell into a silence. Shannon, trying desperately to drink the water. Kate, holding the cup.

Jack, doublechecking Claire's symptoms.

Standing back up, Kate nearly lost her balance. "Are you okay?''Jack asked her.

"I'm..."She said, clearly embarassed. "I'm fine...I just...tripped."

Jack stared at her, wondering what she was thinking. Something about the way she was acting just seemed off to him. "I could stay in here tonight if you wanted...Or Sayid, he wants to stay back here with Shannon as it is."

"No."Kate protested. "It's my shift...I can...I can handle it.I'm just going to sit down over there..."

She pointed to a chair a few feet away from where Claire and Shannon were to where a chair was. "I've got my book...and I've got the watch.I'll be sure to check on them and give the medicine.You need to sleep, Jack."

Nodding wearily, Jack knew she was right. "I'll try.I left the bottle on the shelf...make sure that they each get the equal amount...but I'll have to talk to Sawyer tomorrow, we're running out."

"You know he..."

"I know.I know...I'll find something to trade him for.We've already lost two people, Kate...we can't..."

Kate placed her hand on his shoulder. "I know.We won't.I'll talk to him if I have to.Just go and get-"

They were interupted by a knock on the door. Jack went to answer it. "Charlie.What are you doing back here?You're in-"

"The sick zone, I know.I wanted to see how Claire was doing.They're going to be okay, right?"Charlie asked, growing worried.

"They should be.Charlie, you shouldn't be back here, you could become infected."Jack exclaimed, clearly annoyed.

"I've already been infected...well, exposed.I was the one who helped you carry Shannon and Claire back here, remember?"

Sighing, Jack rubbed the sides of his face wearily. "Okay...Are you asking to stay?"

Charlie stared at the man, somewhat surprised by his reaction. This wasn't the Jack he was used to.

The Jack he knew would have put up more of a protest, would have put up a million reasons why he shouldn't be there.

"Well..I'd like to."

"Okay...You can stay hear with Kate.She'll fill you in on the charts, the information...but then you'll have to head down the hall.You'll need to rest up, your shift can start after Kate gets off...which is at..."He stopped, checking his makeshift chart. "Five this morning."He said, handing him one of the few remaining working watches.

Jack pulled Kate to the side. "You don't want him back here, do you?"

"No.But I don't have a choice now thathe's back here.Look...I had Sayid head out to the jungle...Sun said there was some flower...it's supposed to bloom just before dawn.Well, he's not out there yet...anyway...keep a watch on Charlie. The Goodnight Syndrome is getting to everyone. You know the symptoms..just make sure..."

"The goodnight syndrome?"Kate stopped him.

He shrugged. "We needed to give it a name...and well, I say 'goodnight' because, well, once they're asleep for too long, the virus takes over and..."Jack's mind drifted away, looking past Kate.

"Hey-"She said, catching his attention. "Everything will work out.Trying to keep everyone else out of here is the only problem."

"Yeah...are you sure you're alright?"Jack asked her, edging closer. "You look a little flushed."

The sole light source in the room, a bare lightbulb began to flicker.

"Jack...worry about yourself.You've got to stand up against Sawyer tomorrow, and-"

"You're not gonna fight me on that?"He asked.

"What?..."Kate shook her head, getting what he meant. "Not right now..."She said, gazing at Charlie over Jack's shoulder. "I'll...well, I'd better get to work.See you at five."


	2. Laying Pride Aside

**Thanks for all the reviews...for those of you who gave advice and such as to any part of this ****story...thank you!**

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_Sometimes something happens, and we're too afraid to admit it. We see the clear signs, we hear __the warnings but still refuse to see the truth. We all need rest every once in a while, some need __more than others. And when it comes to letting rest actually happen, putting yourself in someone else's hands, __laying pride aside-Kate always had a problem with that._

Kate jolted awake, feeling someone grabbing her.

"I'm awake!I'm...Charlie...what's wrong?"

Smiling with understanding, he handed her a cup. "Drink."He insisted.

Allowing the liquid into her mouth, she was relieved when she was no longer thirsty. "You know I wasn't asleep long."Kate said, stealing a glance at her watch. "Ten...Ten minutes.So, there's no need to wonder or-"

"I Understand...in any case, I do believe your shift is over.Why don't you try to sleep?''Charlie asked, walking towards Claire's bedside.

Picking up her bag from the floor, she placed her water bottles, book and flashlight back inside.

Standing up, she flung the bag over her shoulder. "I really wasn't sleeping...I was just..."

"Kate...Everyone on this bloody island gets tired sooner or later.You've been working yourself off down here...you down right deserve a moment's rest."He protested, suddenly distracted by a noise coming from Claire's bed.

"Charlie...''Claire whispered, trying to move, but wincing from the pain. "I...I thought I heard you."

Charlie begged himself not to fall apart. Seeing anyone like this was hard, but watching the one that he now realized he loved fighting this new sickness wasn't going to be easy.

"Has Jack been in this morning?"He asked Kate.

"Oh...No.He probably followed Sayid out into the jungle...I've got to talk to Sawyer.If Jack comes in...well.."Kate let her mind drift away, thinking of how Jack would react to her going to talk to him.

Someone had to, she knew that much. And Kate figured that if anyone could convince Sawyer to allow them to look inside the medicine, it would be her.

"You're talking to Sawyer?Why in-"

"Did you understand the charts?"Kate asked, wanting to change the subject. Wanting more than anything to understand what was happening to these people that she cared about.

Grabbing the one that was next to Claire's bed, Charlie flipped the clipboard open.

After a few minutes of reading, and some explaining from Kate, Charlie was sure he understood.

"Good...the next shift starts at ten this morning."Kate said, feeling slightly out of breath.

"No.No...He...Help...He..."

Everyone turned towards Shannon's bed. Kate ran over, wondering what what happening.

"Shannon! Shannon...can you hear me?"She pleaded, taking off her backpack.

Her eyes were wide open, but seemed slightly glazed over. It's like she had been daydreaming, or from the sounds she had been making, more like so called 'daymares'.

"Please...St..Stop...I..."

Pulling a cloth out of her bag, Kate poured water onto it, rubbing it across Shannon's forehead. "Shh... It's going to be okay...just...calm...there..."Kate said as Shannon's shaking started to slow down.

"I'm here...I'm he...re.Take me,too...help..."Shannon exclaimed, blasting out a puff of air.

Closing her eyes, her hands were shaky.

Kate glanced around the room, looking for the light Jack had used the night before on Claire.

"Shannon...Shannon...stay with me,okay?"Kate called, becoming desperate.

Her eyes opened slowly, staring at the ceiling.

"They were...here.Here to...take...take us to..."

"Who was here, Shannon?"Charlie asked, hoping to help.

Getting the cloth wet again, Kate rubbed it across Shannon's forehead. "Shannon?"She asked.

"I need you to tell me what happened...were you dreaming?''

"Dreaming?"Charlie asked. "How could she?Her eyes were wide open, I..."

"Charlie, you really aren't helping much right-"Kate stopped, sinking to the ground beside Shannon's bed.

"Kate?Kate, what's wrong?"Charlie asked.

Rubbing her eyes, Kate bunched her hands into fists. Everything was going to be okay. It had to be.

"I'm...fine.I'm fine."She said, trying to turn her attention back to Shannon.

"You just...what just happened?"Charlie asked, wishing Jack was there. He'd be able to make sense of this, despite the complex he could have sometimes. Maybe they didn't always agree on everything. But one thing was sure from that moment-Kate wasn't okay. Maybe it was the being trapped in the sick zone, or the limited contact with people. But something was wrong, or atleast it looked to him to be.

Shannon had finally calmed down, and had managed to swallow some water out of the cup that Charlie had poured for her. "I just checked her temperature...her fever is still high.Make sure that she keeps fluids down...They're both supposed to take medication soon. Sun made a fruit thing she said... I guess it's in that tub over there."Kate said, using the bed rail to stand.

Charlie grabbed her arm, causing a suspicious glance.

"I was...just trying to help."He protested, somewhat nervous.

Nodding, Kate picked her bag up off of the floor, walking over to Claire's bed. "Is everything alright?"

Claire feebly nodded, her throat being too sore to speak.

"Charlie's here if you need anything."

With that, Kate left the room. She knew it was early, so she decided she'd atleast follow part of what Jack had said by getting a few hours of sleep.

Entering the room, she was surprised to see him there, sound asleep. Feeling a smile creep its way across her mouth, she could have been content watching him sleep. The candle was starting to fade away, so she was carefult to not cause too much of a motion around it.

Laying down on a mattress on the far side of the room, she sunk into it, begging sleep to come.

Her mind went back to what had happened in the room just now. Shannon was having some sort of vision. Laughing to herself, Kate rolled onto her side. She was never one to believe in psychics, or visions. But the look on Shannon's face was one of pure fear. She truely felt that someone was coming.Or maybe going? Kate thought about what she had said, but dismissed it as part of paranoia or dilusion.

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When she woke up later, the room was empty. The Candle had been blown out, but a light bulb, which had been poorly covered littered light across the room.

Sitting up, she stretched, yawning. Ignoring the headache that now held her, Kate decided that she'd now go see Sawyer.

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Jack had just left the sick room when she shut the door.

"Hi."She said weakly, leaning up against the door.

"Where are you going?"He asked, pointing to the bag on her back.

"I...was hoping to convince Sawyer to let me see the medicine.I know..."She said, stopping him before he said anything.

"I know that you said you would.But Jack?"

He looked up at her, and wasn't surprised to see the look of determination in her eyes.

"Fine.I just need you to be careful when you're out there...try to stay further away from those who haven't been exposed to the Goodnight Syndrome...like Rose, Locke...Sawyer even."

Kate felt herself smirk at his last comment. "I promise you that I'll be careful."

"Okay..."Jack said, producing a piece of folded paper from his back pocket.

"Look for these...saying Sawyer actually lets you in.By the way...why didn't you come and get me earlier?"Jack asked, catching her off guard.

"You mean with..."

"Shannon.Yes.Granted, you took care of the situation well...what if-"

"Jack?"Kate said, putting a hand on his cheek, catching his attention.

He stared into her eyes, watching the emotion that swam there. The entire time they had been on the island, she had been one to volunteer to assist on any missions, and this wasn't going to be any exception. He felt like he should tell her not to go, that he'd handle it. But Jack knew that there was no changing Kate's mind once it was made.

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Making her way to Sawyer's tent, Kate prayed that everything would work out right.

She didn't actually pray, rather rehearse in her mind what she would say once she got there. While he was generally okay to work with an be around, asking him to look in what he considered 'his' belongings was a job noone looked foward too.

"Sawyer..."She called upon reaching his tent.

Lifting what he had considered the door, Sawyer stepped out.

"Freckles...nice to see ya. Lookin' a little pale after all that time in the sick zone...what brings you back up here to the land of the living?"

"I need to look in the medical supplies, Sawyer.I need you to let me look myself..."

"Hold it, Freckles..."Sawyer said, deciding to be difficult. It had been several days since he had last seen her and wether he cared to admit it or not, he hadn't been just 'okay' with that.

"I can't just let you in that easily...what am I gonna get in return?"

Rolling her eyes, Kate sighed. She didn't have time for any of Sawyer's games today.

"Look Sawyer-I've got the list right here...It'll take me a few minutes to look around in there.So can I?"

The wind picked up a little, allowing the clouds to roll in. Staring out at the ocean, Sawyer's hair blew in his face.

Reaching in her bag, she knew she'd eventually regret handing him anything, but it was a better trade at that moment than anything he had in mind.

Staring at what Kate held in her hand, Sawyer took in reluctantly. "You're gonna give up your gun that easily?On an island like this?"

Feeling a rain drop fall, Kate grew impatient. "Can I look now?"

Looking at the bottles, vials, and containers, Kate wondered about the people who any of the medicines had belonged to. Some of them had been on the plane in the first place, others had belonged to people on the flight.

Sawyer walked up behind her, looking at what she was doing. "Five different medications for two people?"He said,letting out a slow, high pitched whistle.

Placing the few that she had found in her backpack, Kate began to make her trek back to the hatch.

"Hey, Freckles-"Sawyer called, starting to run after her.

"You know...aren't people supposed to say thank you when they get things?I mean...it's what I always thought.Of course, I don't know where you.."

Kate turned to face him, prepared to make some sort of argument. Prepared to have a list of things about him that, at this moment, she wasn't sure of she liked. But as the wind picked up again, she suddenly felt weak. The trail that she'd have to travel back to the hatch suddenly seemed to stretch on and on.

"You alright?''Sawyer asked, trading in his attitude for genuine concern.

Her arms shaky, Kate nodded, preparing to walk back to the hatch. "I wish people would stop asking me if I'm alright.I've gotten along well this far, haven't I?"She said, using the tree to lean against.

"Maybe you should go back...have theDoc take a look at you."

"Sawyer, really...Jack can't help me with something that isn't wrong."Kate protested as the rain began to fall on the ground.

She tried to recall the last time it had rained on the island. Normally, it wouldn't have been that hard.

But with everything else that had been occupying her mind lately, she couldn't remember. Though she wasn't looking in his direction, she could feel Sawyer staring at her. She could feel the questions that were currently left unasked.

She didn't want to admit to feeling weak. She considered herself to be among the core group, the strong ones. Admitting otherwise in front of anyone, Sawyer any less wouldn't help her any.

Her last thoughts were that she should probably head backm before the storm got any worse.The last thing she remembered were her legs sinking beneath her.

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"Hey, anybody in here?"Sawyer called, carefully trying to balance Kate in one arm, holding the hatch door open with another.

Sayid came running towards him. "What happened?"

"I dunno...she was up, tryin' to bargain with me to take a look in the meds."Saywer said, trying to be louder than the rain.

"I thought somethin' seemed off with freckles.Can you take her in there?"

"You mean you aren't willing to go down there yourself?"Sayid questioned him, perhaps too sarcastically.

"I doubt my presence would be welcomed by the Doc...just take care of her."

After being assured by Sayid that Kate would be fine, Sawyer ran off, in hopes of finding something else to do. The island had caused everyone to become restless, it had put everyone on edge the past few months. Kate had been one of the few who actually understood him, and he felt her slipping away.

He'd never admit that he felt that way, of course.

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"Jack!...Jack!"Sayid called, holding Kate in his arms. "Jack!"

Jack opened the curtain the seperated the hallway from the rest of the area, surprised by what he found.

"What happened to her?Is she awake?"Jack asked, leading him into the room.

Laying her down on a bed, Sayid sighed. "I do not know..."He said, wiping away the rain drops that had pelted his face.

"You would have to ask Sawyer.He was the one that found her, I suppose.I found the plant...the one that Sun was talking about."He said, retrieving several fruitful flower stems from his bag.

"Thanks, Sayid..."Jack said, placing his attention on Kate. He couldn't help but feel guilty. He knew something was wrong, but had still left her alone. He should have gone instead.

"What do we do now, Jack?Everyone is falling around us-"

''Don't say that, Sayid..she's probably exhausted from all the work she's been doing lately...Come on, Kate..."He said, checking her temperature. Hitting his head on the metal post that held the bed, Jack mused.

"How the heck is this happening?"

"She was exposed before...maybe she developed the virus somehow?"

Jack shook his head, searching through her bag for the medicine she had brought. "She was exposed the whole time, it can't..." _I don't want it to be..._He thought to himself.

"So what do we do now?"Sayid said, voicing the thought that occupied Jack's mind.

Staring up at the man, Jack sighed. "Well, for now there's only one thing we can do.We wait."

**A/N...so that's the second chapter...I realize there hasn't been much Jate yet...right now, I'm just getting to the 'core' of the story...where everything actually happens which'll probably involve more characters, surrounding around Jack and Kate.Anyways, I hope I did a fair job of keeping the characters well...in character.Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	3. Desperation

**A/N:I apoligize for not updating...but wow...reviews are great!Thank you guys so much.**

**Being as a new season won't be up til what...september?We have FanFic...that's good.**

**Anyway, Kate...yeah, I know I ended with a cliffhanger...so, without further adieu...**

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_Time.It's a funny thing. When we have too much of it...we grow bored. When we have too little of it, __we grow sad. And when we feel time slipping away-we become desperate, clamoring for answers.It __had been two days since Sayid had carried Kate down into the sick zone, and Jack had practically __been glued to her side ever since._

"Jack."Sun said, breaking him from his thoughts.

"I could watch her for a while...You need to rest."

"No.I need to stay here...in case she wakes up."Jack insisted, grabbing hold of Kate's hand.

Her skin was a pale color, somewhere between its natural color and white. After she had fainted, she hadn't actually regained conciousness, but her fever had never spiked above what it had been That alone was the ray of hope that Jack clung to.

Sun stared down at him, kneeling beside her bed. The spot had been occupied by him for what seemed like ages, but in reailty had only been an hour-this time. His shift had ended just minutes before, but he still refused to move.

Claire's condition had improved, but only slightly. She could now move her arms, allowing her to stretch, but speaking was still difficult.

Shannon was somewhere between dilusion and reality, the medcine seemingly helped. But once it wore off, she went back to her 'daymeres'. Sleep was something that none of them had easily. Claire slept some, but was woken up every once in a while, for fear of falling into the sickness even deeper.

Shannon slept, but was interrupted more often, partially due to her nightmares, partially due to the fact of her constant shivering.

And then there was Kate. Kate laid on her bed, frozen in the same position she was when she had been carried in.

"Have you eaten?"Sun asked, urging him to atleast keep himself healthy.

Jack shook his head, indicating that he had not. The silence that blanketed the room was doused with sadness, with desperation. "If she doesn't say something soon...doesn't..."

Sun placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, in understanding. Neither of them had ventured out of the hatch in those two days, both for their own reasons. Jack because he feared leaving Kate for more than a few hours. Sun because she knew that Jin would have questions for her, he would wonder.

Charlie rushed in the door, seemingly worried. "Jack, you have to come."

"What's the problem?"He grumbled, standing up.

Charlie stared at the man, weary. "Sawyer...um...he's hurt."

Jack sighed, knowing what that meant. "Is anything broken?"He asked.

"Well...I don't know.I just...he's a little-"

"Disgruntled?When is he not?"Jack said, stealing a glance back at Kate. "I'm sorry.I...Sun, will you come and get me if-"

"Yes.If anything happens.I will have someone come get you."

Kate could hear them, or atleast she thought she did. Fighting to open her eyes, her limbs felt heavy. Fog filtered any vision that she would have, and her breathing wasn't as easy as she had hoped.

She thought she called out to them, but couldn't as her throat was dry. Fighting it, she could feel it pulling her back in, back towards whatever it was that held her.

(Kate's Dream)

_She was on an boat, a ship. From the side, she could see an approaching dock._

_For a moment, she felt free. She saw Jack. Walking towards him, she smiled. "We're free."She said, __linking her hand with his. _

_Looking around the ship, she saw Saywer with Ana, laughing about something. Shannon stared across __the water and for a moment, sadness tinged her. Shannon was one of the few who had basically lost __everything on the island-she had lost Boone. _

_Jack suddenly grew stiff, a look of sadness waving over his face. "What is it?"_

_Kate turned towards the dock, seeing the wave of police who had suddenly appeared. "No."She said, __feeling tears stinging her eyes. _

_"Maybe...Maybe they're hear to escort us somewhere.To...To help us."Jack said, clamoring for __answers._

_Kate could feel the stares, could hear the whispering. Glancing over Jack's shoulder, she saw __Sawyer, who simply shook his head, looking the other way._

_"They can't...They can't take me,Jack!They can't."Kate said, growing desperate._

_"They won't...Kate, look at me.Kate-"_

_Her breathing became bated, between sobs, she shook her head. "You don't know that.I killed __someone.Maybe it was long ago but these people...these people never forget that sort of thing.They...__they're going to lock me away."_

_Suddenly, a look of sadness, harboring just beyond fear shadowed Jack's face. "I'm sorry, Kate."_

_"What?What are you doing?Jack, where are you going?Jack..."_

_He turned around, walking away. Ignoring her, ignoring the problems that loving her would bring._

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"Couldya be a little easier?"Sawyer insisted, somewhat embarassed by his current situation.

"Well, I could be had I an actual sling. Locke made this somehow..."

"You're a doctor...aren't doctors supposed to...know how to do this sorta thing without harming the patient?"

"It wouldn't be that hard if you'd just sit still..."Jack protested, trying to place Sawyer's arm in the sling. "How'd this happen, anyway?"

"I was playin' superman...waddayou think?"Saywer said sarcastically. "I was wrestlin' with a boar,he wouldn't stop..that gun Kate gave me the other day was empty.Imagine that-I'm out there in the jungle,thinkin' the thing is gonna save my life...I see a boar...we need food.So, I figure it shouldn't be too hard.In any case...Am I gonna live?"

Jack stared up at him at the mention of Kate. "It's just a sprain.Just be careful next time you feel like wrestling down food, okay?"

"I'll have to keep a watch out for that, then."Sawyer said, standing up. Staring at Jack's bag, he saw that he had brought bottles along to fill up in the spring. "Fillin' those back up for your little group in the hatch, huh?''

"Yeah..."Jack said, pulling one out, filling it with water.

"She's unconcious."Jack said, knowing full well Sawyer knew who 'she' was.

"Unconcious?"Sawyer said, walking to the entrance of the cave.

"She's been that way since Sayid brought her in.What happened?"

Sawyer stared back at Jack, quizzically. "You think I did this?"

"I didn't say that."Jack said, putting the cap back on one of the water bottles. "I just asked you what happened.

Usually people faint for a reason.Granted...she came down with the virus...but something triggered her fainting."

"Look, all I did was carry her to the hatch door. I wasn't gonna let her lay there...it was raining."

Jack nodded, going back to filling the water bottles. "Why didn't you volunteer?"

"Volunteer?"

"To be a part of the group.You know...the people to watch the sick.After Kate fell...why didn't you?"

Sawyer flicked the ash of of a cigarette, blowing a puff of smoke into the air. It was one of the few he had left, until he'd have to raid suit cases again.

''You wouldn't have let me."

Jack didn't answer him, but he knew Sawyer was probably right.

Swinging he bag back over his shoulder, Jack turned towards him. "I'll need to look in the medicine later...the medicine she got from you...it's spreading thin."

"What do I get?"Sawyer asked, snubbing his cigarette off on the cave wall.

Jack sighed, walking past him. He needed to get back to the hatch.

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_(Kate's Dream)_

_She stood before a mirror, checking her hair. _

_"You look beautiful, Kate...almost like a dream.''Claire said from behind her._

_Kate smiled, knowing she was right. After the boat had arrived, fear had been swimming inside of __her. Jack had walked away from her, fearing the worst. But when the boat arrived at the dock, once __they were safely ashore, the police had escorted all of them into town, and had determined that __she was no longer a threat to society._

_"Thank you...Claire.For...for coming.I swore I wasn't going to cry..."Kate said, wiping a tear away._

_"You're getting married...you're allowed to cry."_

_Kate nodded. "I know, I know...when I think about the times that we spent...together on the island...__he was always there.Ya know?I mean...on the ship...I saw this...doubt in his eyes.Like he was __afraid he was going to lose me."_

_Claire shook her head, putting a lock of hair out of her face. "Jack loves you...and you love him."_

_Charlie opened the door to the bride's room, holding Aaron's hand. _

_"Hello, sweetheart...have you been staying out of trouble with Charlie?"_

_Aaron simply smiled._

_"He's grown up so much..."Kate mused, picking up her boquet off of the table._

_"Guys...I don't mean to interrupt...but everyone else is ready to start the ceremony."_

_Kate looked at Charlie, smiling. He was the last person she would expect to be Jack's best man._

_And yet there he was, ready to begin the wedding. She reached for the ring around her neck._

_"We'll be right out."Kate assured, taking one last look in the mirror._

_"This is really happening."_

_Claire stared at her, wondering what she meant. "Of course it is.You aren't having second thoughts,__are you?"_

_"No...No.I'm not having...second thoughts.I just..."Kate leaned against the chair for support._

_"You just what?"_

_"It's kind of like...I feel like part of me just...when we were on the island, we all made choices.If __one of us needed food, we all worked together to get it. If one of us was hurt...we all worked to make __sure that they were better.And now...I'm just worried that...we're going to lose contact.Or...something."_

_Claire laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Listen...you are about to walk out there and marry the __man that you love.All of us are in the audience.Me...Charlie...Sayid...Locke...Hurley.Even Sawyer."_

_"Sawyer's...out there?"_

_"Yes...with Ana.I guess he...realized something.Anyway-"Claire said, pinning the flower in her hair._

_Sun opened the door. "Kate?Are you ready?"_

_"Yeah..."Kate said, turning towards the door. "I'm ready."_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------_

Jack opened the door to the sick room, sighing.

"How is she?"

Sun just looked up at him from her chair, little to no emotion on her face. "I'm...sorry."

"No...it's not your fault, Sun."Jack said, tossing his bag onto an empty bed. "Sawyer's fine."

"What happened?"Sun asked.

Jack sighed, opening a water bottle. Taking a sip, he swished it around his mouth. "Apparently he was wrestling a boar...trying to get food, I guess. Somehow his arm got trapped and...well, it's just sprained...he should be okay."

Sun walked over to Shannon's bed, checking her chart. "It's time to give her the medication...but if I give it to her...then we will have to dilute the dose that we give to Claire and Kate."

Jack stared at Shannon, pale and drawn. "Give her the medication."He said, hoping he wouldn't regret it.

"Jack..."

The voice was faint, almost a whisper. Had anyone been talking at the time, he wouldn't have heard it.

"Kate?"He said, running to her bed. "Kate?"

She struggled, trying to open her eyes. He put his hand on her cheek, rubbing it with his thumb.

"I'm right here...Can you hear me?"

She winced, drawing in a sharp breath. She tried to speak, but was discouraged when she couldn't.

"Sun...could...could you get her something to drink?"

Sun poured Kate some water into a cup, carrying it over to Jack.

"Thanks."Jack said. He put the cup up to Kate's lips, urging her to drink. "Please, Kate...you need to drink."

Kate tried to drink, but wasn't sure she did until she felt the fluid flowing down her throat, easing the burn.

"It's so...cold."Kate said, shivering. She closed her eyes again, pleading the pain to go away. "What's wrong with me?"

Her voice came, rough and painful. "You're sick,Kate...Sawyer carried you to the hatch...Sayid carried you in here.You've..."Jack said, carefully thinking of how he would tell her. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. "You've been unconcious the last two days."

Kate opened her eyes, trying to breathe. "How's Shannon?"

Jack couldn't help but smile. Though her condition was still bad, Kate was worried about someone else.

"It's still bad...Claire's the healthiest out of all of you."

She tried to left her hand, but let out a sob when she couldn't.

"Hey...shh...It's okay."

"I'm sorry, Jack."Kate muttered.

"For what?"

"You asked me...to let you go..."She closed her eyes, growing weak.

Jack knew he shouldn't bother her much longer. As long as she knew he was there, that was what mattered at that moment to him. "That doesn't matter right now, okay?I'm right here..."

"Please..."Kate cried. "I'm so tired..."

"You can't sleep..."Jack urged, feeling a pang of guilt. Kate laid before him, weak and pleading.She was asking him for relief, for rest. But he was afraid. Afraid that if he let her sleep, then she'd dive right back into the way she was before.

"I'm not leaving, Kate...that's all I can tell you."

Kate gently reached out, attempting to squeeze his hand. For now, she was safe. And that's all she needed to know.


	4. Ray of Hope

**What can I say?Y'all fans are awesome!...Alot will be happening in these next few chapters,so I should be updating some...I'm on an updating craze, so who knows?Thanks for the reviews...they mean more than you know!**

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Claire opened her eyes to see Charlie staring down at her. "Hi.How are you feeling?"He asked with a smile.

"I've...been better.Is something wrong?"Claire asked.

"Oh...No...Jack just went out for a while...Do you need anything?"

Claire drew a breath, trying to look around. She felt like she needed to move, like she needed to move.

She didn't know how long she had been there, but to her it felt like ages. "I'm kind of hungry..."

"That's...That's good.Um..."Charlie said, scanning the room. "Well...we don't have any peanut butter but..."He said, grabbing a bag off of a shelf. "We've got crackers."

"No."She said, firmly. "I..I mean...well..."She closed her eyes, clearing her throat. The last thing she'd want to do would be to upset Charlie, and she hoped that she wasn't. "Charlie..."She said, catching his attention.

"I didn't mean to offend you but...well,I was hoping for something more...you know...liquid...My...my throat..."

Charlie nodded as a sound came from a bed nearby. "That's...That's Kate. I should probably-"

"Kate's in here?"Claire asked, worried.

"Yes...she was brought in a few days ago."

"Is she alright?Charlie-"

Charlie reassured her, telling her that Kate would be fine before leaving her side to check on Kate.

"Kate...Kate, it's Charlie...are you awake?''

"Jack?"Kate whispered groggily.

Charlie laughed, kneeling beside her bed. "No, it's Charlie...is everything alright?"

When no answer came, he became worried. For a split second, he thought about running after Jack, but knew that at the moment, that was out of the question. Because if something happened to them when he was gone-well, he wouldn't let his mind go there.

"Kate?''Charlie asked, this time a little louder.

She wrinkled her forehead, seemingly fighting something. She had been fighting to stay awake, lingering somewhere between concious and nonconcious. Somewhere just about delirium. "Charlie?"

"Yes...Yes, that's...that's me.What's the problem?Is something wrong?"

Kate drew a breath, her hand shakily grasping the sheet the covered her bed. "No.I'm...fine.Yes...I'm..fi...fi..."She stopped speaking, trying hard to breathe.

Fearing that something was happening, Charlie peaked his head out the door, running down the hallway.

"Sayid!Sayid, are you still-"

He spotted the man sitting in front of the computer, the alarm was set to go off sometime soon, and he was in the habit of being prepared. "What's wrong?"

"It's...It's Kate."

Sayid stood up at Charlie's word, wondering what happened.

"She...She woke up and-"

"Kate woke up?"Sayid asked, glancing first at the computer, then at the nervous man standing before him. "Charlie..."He said, hoping to calm him down. "What...happened?"

"She's...well, she started to talk and...she started...shaking...having trouble talking.I would have asked Jack but-"

Without further word, Sayid headed towards the hallway the held the sick room.

"Sayid, wait."Charlie said, staring back at the computer. "The-the alarm..."

He stared at the computer, then at the sleeping man on the couch. "Wake Hurley up..."Sayid said, before continuing down the long hallway.

-----------------------------------

"Haven't you been down here already, Doc?"Saywer said, peeling a piece of fruit with his pocket knife.

"I need to speak to you."Jack said, standing before the other man.

Tossing a piece of the fruit in his mouth, feebly, he chewed it a moment before answering Jack. "About?"

Jack sighed, feeling desperate. He knew that Sawyer knew exactly what he was there for. And even more, he knew Sawyer knew it was getting on his nerves.

"We're dividing the medicine...it's spreading thin.I know it's only been two days...plus a few hours since you gave it to us but..."He said, tracing something in the sand. "One of the medicines was for us caring for the ill.If we don't get more of that-we could get sick, too."

Sawyer stared at out the water, thinking about what Jack was saying. If he helped him, it would get him into Jack's good graces. If he didn't, the doctor would probably end up holding this insane grudge that he held against him. Either way, Sawyer knew that he was the one who held the choices.

"How's your arm?"Jack asked, feeling that maybe if he changed the subject, Sawyer might change his mind.

"It's in pain...generally what happens after being sprained."

Jack sighed, knowing full well what Sawyer was trying to do. "You'll need to take pain medication.I'm sure there's some of that in the medical supplies."

"Yep."Sawyer replied, tossing a piece of fruit into his mouth. "There is...anything else you want, Doc?"

"I need to look into the medical supplies, Sawyer.It's not that hard...I'm a doctor...I know what i'm looking for.It would take me a few minutes at the most."

Sawyer shrugged, knowing that he was grating on Jack's nerves. "Isn't Sun down there with y'all?I'm sure she could come up with some natural way to fix all this."

"She is down there...and she's tried."Jack sighed, knowing it was no use. The only way Sawyer would let him into the medical supplies was if he had something Sawyer wanted. A thought crossed his mind.

"Kate's down there, you know that right?"

"I carried her to the hatch...of course I know."Sawyer retorted. He smiled, sitting back in one of the few remaining airline seats scattered across the island.

"What if-what if something happened to her?What if she became worse?Sawyer...we need medication.We _need_ it...it shouldn't matter wether or not it's for you.After all, "live together or die alone"-right?"Jack stopped, screening his eyes from the sun.

"I'll be back later...I'll have...something.I don't know what but..."With that, Jack turned to wak away.

Ana was a few feet away, occupying herself by going through the few remaining things she had. Upon seeing Jack walking away, she stood up, brushing herself off.

"Hey Jack-"

He turned around, letting her catch up. "What?"

"You want something from him, don't you?"She asked, tilting her head back towards Saywer.

Jack stared back at him, squinting in the sunlight. "Yeah.But it doesn't matter...I can get it later.I just...well, it doesn't matter."

Ana stared at his face for a moment, wondering what was going on inside his head. She had only been a part of the group for a while, but she was starting to understand why he was considered 'leader'-why everyone looked up to him.

"What if I could get it?"

"You don't even know what it is that I want."Jack protested.

Ana rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "You wanna look in the meds, don't you?"

"Am I that transparent?"

"Yep.I mean come on, Jack...you an' I both know that the king of arrogance over there has a weakness.You know what it is...you want any help?"

Jack knew Ana was right. While he doubted it would work, there was a chance. And right now, Jack was willing to take a chance.

----------------

Jack made his way back to the hatch, finding the current situation with Kate.

"She's fine...she will be."Sayid assured him, seeing the look on his face.

He started to talk, but changed his mind. He knelt down, checking her pulse. "Did you give her-"

"Yes."Sayid assured, stealing a glance over at Charlie, who was currently at Claire's side.

Sayid held up the vial that held the medication that Jack had said to use in the event of any 'episodes'. Jack breathed in relief, hoping that everything would work out fine.

"Claire?"He asked, focusing on her now.

"Am I going to be able to get out of here?"She asked, smiling weakly.

"Not yet...but-"Jack said, checking her chart. While he had been afraid for Kate, Claire's condition had been improving. While she wasn't anywhere near full health, Jack still hoped.

"I would like to try something."

He watched Charlie and Claire exchange nervous glances.

"Claire...can you sit up?"Jack asked.

Claire gripped the mattress, first lifting her head, then her neck. Charlie went to assist her, but Jack protested. "She needs to do it on her own."

She then shook a little, but managed to actually be in a sitting position. Staring up at Jack, she hoped she was doing good.

"Why are you doing this?''Charlie asked.

"Do you feel weak at all...any specific pain?"

Claire shook her head negatively. "Well...yes...but...I've felt worse." She smiled, hoping she'd lightened the mood. "Can I ask a question?...While I've been in here...who's been watching Aaron?How is he?"

Jack seemed happy by her asking this. A sign that she was returning from the fog that had held her.

"For the most part...Aaron has been with Hurley.Locke's watched him some.Sun volunteered to wtach him...but then this came up and...well..I'm going to ask you to do something."

Claire studied his expression, wondering what Jack meant.

"I'll be right here..."He said, standing up off of her bed. "Charlie...will be right there.And Sayid..."He said, motioning for him to come over. "Will be right...there."

"You want her to stand, don't you?"Charlie asked.

Jack looked at him, then Claire. "If you don't think you're ready, you don't have to."

She tried to swing her legs around, at long last, placing her feet on the floor. "You guys will..."

"Catch you, yes...we will."Jack assured. Casting a glance at Sayid, he nodded. Sayid then looked at Charlie, who was staring at Claire. Begging her, pleading with her to atleast stand. To atleast try.

She did, or atleast she tried. Weak, but attempting to stand, she used Charlie and Jack's arms as leverage. "Can you let go?"

She looked unsure. Blinking, she breathed deeply.Slowly, she let go of Charlie's arm.

"Walk towards me."Sayid suggested, hoping he was helping. Claire tried to do as she was asked, stumbling a little along the way. She was a few inches away when her ankle collapsed underneath her.

Sayid caught her, as Charlie and Jack assisted her back into the bed. To anyone else, it might not have been much. But in reality, it was hope. An right now, any sign of hope was worth checking into. "How do you feel?Is your ankle alright?"

"Yes...I...I'm tired."

Sayid got her a glass of water while Jack tended to Shannon.

Jack was concerned. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't bad, either. Claire was allowed to sleep, and had been doing so for nearly and hour and a half. Ana had come in, rather, Charlie had come in with the medication, and a warning from Sawyer.

"What's happening?"Sayid asked.

"Kate's getting worse..."Jack said, scribbling something on her chart. "If the medication...as little of it as there is...doesn't help...she'll need blood."

"Blood?How-"Sayid seemed worried.

"Look-I've got the supplies here...I saw her file from the plane."

"From the plane?Jack...what are you _saying?_"

Jack stared closely at Kate, hoping he wouldn't regret it. Looking back at Sayid, he read the look in his eyes. Right now, he was desperate. It was a natural choice. "Sayid...I need you to do something.Like I said...I've seen her file.I know her blood type. And...well...it's the same as mine."


	5. Peace of Mind

**A/N:As usual...y'all Jate fans are great.Anyways..summer's here, So I have more time to ****update...should be fun.R&R, please!**

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Sayid studied Jack, just after he had performed the transfusion. "Are you _sure_ you feel fine?"He asked for the third time.

"Yes, Yes...I feel a little light headed.But that's to be expected.Right now, I'm just worried about Kate."

Sayid nodded, handing the man a guava. Jack stared at him quizzically, to which Sayid handed him a knife. "It's not a cookie...but you need sugars, right?"

"Right."Jack said, staring over at Kate. Her eyes started to move, making it look like she was about to wake up.

"She's going to be okay."Sayid assured him, taking some water and a few pills to Shannon.

"How can you be so sure?"Jack replied, not realizing that Kate was awake.

"Well...Call it a theory.But I think that with someone like you cheering for her, Kate won't have much of a choice."Sayid said laughing.

Leaning down next to Shannon, he urged her to wake up.

"Shannon?"

She forced her eyes to open, looking over at him. "Say...Sayid.Sayid..."She whispered.

"Yes...do you feel well enough to swallow these?"He asked, showing her the pills.

"What are those?"Shannon asked, a look of fear shading her eyes. "What are they?"

"They're your medication...you need to take them to get better."Sayid insisted, offering one to her.

Much too his disappointment, she didn't accept it.

"Shannon...you need to take it."

"I...I don't know what it is.The...The others could have...poi...pois-"She speaking was stopped by Sayid, who placed a hand on her shoulder. So far, it seemed to stop the shaking.

"Don't you trust me?''

She wetted her lips, nodding. "Of course...but...these...dreams...they...they tried to take me.And the plane came to...to take everyone. Only I wasn't...I wasn't on the plane.You and Claire and Kate and...Locke and...Boone was there.But you...You weren't.You...were on the plane.I tried to get to you but-"

"Shh...it does not matter.Please, Shannon...take the medicine?"

Shannon did as he asked, sitting quietly after her. "I'm so tired."

"You need to stay awake for now."Jack said, coming over. "Atleast until the medication takes full affect...you're improving...physically, anyway...and I'd like to monitor you while you're awake."

Sayid looked over at Jack. The man looked tired. He silently wondered how much sleep he'd gotten since the Goodnight Syndrome had found its way into the camp. He actually hadn't witnessed him sleeping since before Kate had been brought in.

"Is there anything I can do?"He asked.

"Um...well, the shift ends soon.I need to speak to Locke...we've got to find the source of this thing soon before anyone else gets sick...Claire may be getting better. But truthfully...if Kate and Shannon and Kate don't show significant signs of improvement within the next few days..."

Jack left the sentence hanging, afraid of what he would say had he finished it.

Walking over to Claire's bed, he saw that she was waking up. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, I suppose...where's Charlie?"

"In the computer room with Hurley...is something wrong?"Jack asked.

She smiled, shaking her head. "No...not...not really. Earlier..when I...walked...tell me the truth-"

"Of course..."He said, sitting on the edge on her bed.

"Was that...was that good?"Claire asked, her eyes beaming with hope.

Jack looked over at Sayid, not sure how to answer. In actuality, she hadn't actually 'walked' rather, she had wobbled. But compared to the response he was garnering from Kate and Shannon-it was worth applauding.

"You're making progress.Are you hungry?"

"A little...Is that good?"Claire asked.

"Yes.That's a good sign...Uh..Sayid, do we have anymore fruit?"Jack asked the other man.

"I don't believe we do...I believe Hurley had some out in the other room...do you want me to ask him?"

Jack nodded, giving him permission to leave.

He looked over at Kate's bed, pleading her to move. Pleading silently that everything would work out the right way.

"You love her, don't you?"

The question might have come out of a medicated virus patient, but at the same time, it was a perfectly valid question.

"Kate?She's...she's my friend.And I'm...worried about her."

A smile spread across Claire's lips. "Is she okay?"

"Hopefully she will be...right now...I'm not...I'm not so sure."

-----------------

Sayid walked into the computer room to find Hurley in the chair reading something, what he wasn't sure. Charlie was on the floor, playing an old marble game that they had found in the hatch.

"Hurley..."He said, catching his attention.

Looking up from his book, he seemed tired. "Yeah, Dude?"

"Do you have anymore guavas down here?"

"Um..."He said, standing up. He went to a box in the corner, producing one. "It's one of the last few down here.Is everything okay?"

"It should be...Claire woke up and she was hungry...Is Locke around?"

"Dude, I don't see how anyone keeps tracks on that guy..."

"He went to talk to Ana Lucia...apparently one of the others died...from this...sickness."Charlie said from the floor, clearly looking for distraction.

Sayid knew that this wasn't the news Jack was looking for. "Thanks...I'll take this back to them."

--------------------

"Jack..."

He heard the voice faintly calling him. Running to her bed, he smiled.

"Jack."Kate said, smiling sleepily. "What happened?"

He looked down at her, knowing that it was a question he was expecting. "We had to give you blood...the medicine isn't working fast enough, and your body is becoming immune to the antibodies...how are you?"

"Blood?"She asked, clearly surprised, ignoring his question.

"I uh...I've seen your file...from the plane...I saw your blood type and well-"

"My _file?" _Kate asked, growing upset.

"Your health file...not...records or anything."Jack said, defensively. "How do you feel, Kate?"

She stared at him, feeling somewhat defensive. He placed his hand over hers as a protective measure and to his approval, she didn't reject. While she could have fought, at that moment, it felt right.

"Thank you."She said, groggily.

"For what?"

"For...being you.Thank you, Jack..."

"It's not a problem...really."His hand ran to the spot on her arm, a bruie edged itself around it. Leaning down, he wasn't sure why he was doing it, but he kissed the spot lightly.

Kate reopened her eyes, tightening her muscles. She may have been under medication, but she still realized what he just did. "Jack..."She said.

"Is something wrong?"

She felt too tired, too exhausted to fight it. Her eyes pleading with his, she needed sleep, she wanted sleep. "Everytime I close my eyes...I see things."

"What kinds of things?"

"Some good...some bad...of the island...life after the island...They bleed together and...I can't sleep because of it."

Jack frowned, wondering where this was leading.

In a desperate, pleading voice, she asked him a question. "Will you hold me?"

He smiled, fully well knowing the answer. And for the first time in days, they both slept peacefully.


	6. Human on the inside

**A/N: Wow...I'm loving the reviews. A bunch of stuff happens in this chapter, so it's pretty ****long...hope y'all don't mind. It includes several different 'ships (PB&J, SAna, and Shayid)-But ****is basically Jate-centric. The source of the Goodnight Syndrome starts to come to light-and ****well, I won't say much other than that...R&R, please...enjoy!**

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_Sleep-a process that takes us from night to morning. In many ways, it is looked upon as a source __of renewal- a place where we are recharged for the next day. It is in this so called 'state' of sleep __that we dream. We dream of a better time and a better place. When Jack slept, he dreamed. He __dreamed that everything was the way it was before-before the sickness. Before the storm. But __when he woke up-he realized he had something to do. Something that couldn't wait._

Jack awoke the next morning, feeling more rested than he had in days. He felt a warmth, the kind of warmth that could only come from another person.

That's when he realized where he was- and why he was there. His arm was slightly numb after being stuck underneath Kate's head. Reaching an arm out, he brushed the hair out of her face.

"You're going to be okay."He said, more to himself than Kate.

She stirred a bit, but did not awaken. That was when he heard a cough coming from across the room, reminding him that they were not alone.

Forcing himself into a sitting position, he saw Sun sitting in a chair close to Shannon's bed. "Sun?"

She turned her head towards him questioningly. "Yes, Jack?"

Jack felt slightly embarassed to ask such a question, but he felt the need. "How long was I asleep?"

Sun dipped a washcloth in a small pale of water. Squeezing the excess water off, she spoke. "About seven hours.Sayid came in and told me I was not to bother you. He said you needed the sleep."

He sighed, knowing Sayid was right. "Thanks...is she okay?"

"Shannon woke up a few hours ago, complaining of a headache. She managed to stay awake long enough to let it go away."Sun said, placing the cloth on Shannon's forehead.

"Jack?"

"Yes?''

"Could I..."Sun said, somewhat nervous. "Would it be okay with you if I were to go outside for a little while later?I spoke with Hurley and he told me Jin was looking for me."

Jack smiled, indicating that she could go. Afterall, he was beginning to get a dose of cabin fever himself. "Sure.Do you know what time it is?"

Sun stared at the pale glow of one of the few remaining clocks, and told him that it was six-forty five.

"So I...slept all night."Jack said, staring down at a sleeping Kate.

"Yes. Would it be alright?"

Rubbing his tired eyes, Jack cleared his throat. "Yes.Oh, and Sun?"

She stopped in the doorway. "If you see Locke...could you tell him that I'm looking for him?"

----------------------

(Kate's Dream)

_She heard screaming. Turning around, she saw Shannon, leaning against a tree. "What happened?"_

_"He...The man...he cut my..."_

_She removed her hand from her arm, revealing a fair-sized cut. From it, a river of blood seemed to __flow. Wincing from the pain, Shannon closed her eyes._

_"I thought I heard somebody out here...Let me take you back to Jack."Kate said. Originally she had __gone further out into the jungle to be alone. But now it was clear that someone else needed her help._

_"No."Shannon protested. "I mean there's a...a little spring not too far from here...I went out walking, __and that's how I found it.That would be closer."_

_Kate nodded in approval. "Who did this?"_

_She looked around for any sign of someone else. _

_"One of the others...I stumbled upon a camp."Shannon said, spewing the rain water out of her mouth._

_"I just wanted to be alone...and he insisted I was listening in."Shannon said, trying to speak above __the pounding rain._

_Lighting erupted the sky, sending down another sheet of water. The ground was nothing but a mesh __of mud, twigs and puddles as the two headed towards the so called 'spring' that Shannon had discovered._

_Along the way, the path was covered with numerous tree roots and shrubbery. Climbing over one, __Kate's ankle was caught. "Mmph...Ow."Kate cried, her ankle finally breaking free, but not before the __root caused a scar to form on her ankle._

_Thunder clapped above, causing the both to jump._

_(End Dream)_

Kate awoke to find Jack staring down at her. "Good morning."

She furrowed her brow, clearly in thought.

"Is something wrong?"Jack asked.

"No...I..."

"You had another dream, didn't you?"

"Yeah...only this time it was real."Kate said, somewhat worried.

"What do you mean?"Jack asked, growing concerned.

Kate sighed, closing her eyes. "The other day...before that big storm started...I headed out to be alone. When the storm started, I looked for cover. That's when I heard Shannon screaming...she found another camp...one of the others, I guess...he tried to attack her but she...she got away."

Jack seemed worried by this. Why hadn't he found out? "Then what happened?"

"I tried to take her to you...she had this huge cut on her arm...but she told me about a spring she found not too far from where we were. Along the way I fell...I didn't think much about it then but-"

"That's why you limped around for a while...does it feel alright now?"

Kate nodded, wetting her lips. It was then that Jack relaxed, propping himself up on his elbow.

Kate reached up, gingerly brushing his face with her hand. She could feel the slight stubble that etched itself along his jawline. Wether she wanted to admit it or not, Jack had been a great comfort to her during all of this.

Her thumb barely grazed his lips, causing Jack to retract a little.

"How...How are you feeling?"

Kate let her hand fall, the moment clearly gone. "I've been better...how are they?"

"Claire walked a little yesterday...well...she wobbled, but it's progress."

"What about Shannon?"Kate asked, worried.

"She's trying."Jack said, getting up to put on his shoes.

Walking over, Jack decided to check on Shannon before he left. It was supposed to be his shift, but he felt that he couldn't wait any longer. He had to find the source of the sickness before it spread.

She opened her eyes, staring up at him. "Am I going to be okay?"

Jack looked up from Shannon's chart, raising an eyebrow. "You're starting to improve...Do you feel any specific pains?..."

"No."She lied, knowing that he'd probably find out soon enough. The last thing Shannon wanted to do was make anyone worry. But before long, a blanket of sleep overcame her, giving Jack time to see what Kate had meant.

Lifting Shannon's shirt sleeve, he saw a deep cut that stopped just inches away from where her sleeve did. Grabbing another cloth, he tried his best to clean it.

Checking on a sleeping Claire, he headed back to Kate. "Listen...I'm going to head out for a while.

"Are you going to be okay with Charlie coming in to watch you?"

"Sure."Kate said, groggily.

Smiling, he leaned in, kissing her forehead. Strangely enough, it seemed more out of habit than anything.

-----------------------------------

Sawyer sat on the beach, staring out at the water. In a sense, it made him feel bad. But with his arm in a sling, there wasn't much that he could do.

He did find the time to tighten security a bit on his tent after the incident with Ana. How she managed to take the medicine, he still had no idea.

Laughing to himself, he saw her coming. "Hiya."

"Whatcha doin'?"She asked.

"Not much I can do with this thing on my arm, is there?"Saywer replied sarcastically.

"You wanna go for a walk?"Ana asked him.

Sawyer tilted his head towards her quizzically. "Do what?"

Ana laughed, her hand on her hip. "Look-okay...There ain't much else to do...everyone else out here is busy."

"Jack sent ya didn't he?Ya think he'd get tired of dealin' with me..."

''This ain't got nothin to do with Jack...what's your problem with him, anyway?"

He stared out at the water. It may have been early morning, but the heat started to seep in already.

"It's Kate, idn't it?"Ana asked.

"What?"

"Oh, come on-it's obvious...she likes him...you...well...don't like him."

"This ain't high school.I'm capable of being mature about things."He said, somewhat amused by the conversation.

"Coulda fooled me."

"So-we gonna go on that walk or not?"

-------------------------

Jack stumbled upon Locke working on a form of a fishing pole near the caves. "You got a minute?"

"Ah...Jack.Sun mentioned that you were looking for me.Something I can do?"He said, setting down his tools.

"I need your help."Jack said, sitting on a log.

"With what?"

"I've been thinking...about this sickness lately.Where it came from..."

"How do you figure we'll find out?"Locke asked him.

Jack sighed, feeling defeated. He wanted to find the source of the syndrome and defeat it, and he knew it had to be fast.

"I'm not sure.Kate told me something earlier and well...I think that maybe it could..."Jack let his sentence dangle, seeing Hurley headed towards them, looking somewhat lost.

"Hurley?"

"I don't wanna talk about it, dude...I'll be fine."He insisted.

He trudged into the caves not saying another word.

"Libby apparently fell ill...and based on past experience..."Locke said, explaining it to Jack.

"So what happened with Kate?"

"The storm that happened like a week ago...I guess she left to be alone and ran into Shannon, she had been hurt.They went to some spring and..."Jack rubbed his eyes, tired of thinking about it. He just wanted a cure, and he wanted it fast.

"I don't know, okay?I don't _know_ how to fight this thing...if anyone else gets hurt...or if they get worse..."

Locke seemed intrigued by Jack sudden breakdown. All this time he had been known as leader, as the strong one. That moment proved that even the strong ones grow weak at times.

"Jack-this spring...do you know where it's at?"He asked.

"No.What's that have to do with anything?"

"Well, it could have alot to do with it...just calm down, Jack...being around Kate, Claire and everyone else can't be good for them if you're like this."Locke insisted.

Staring up at the sky, Jack sighed. "I don't know what to do...One minute, she's fine..the next she's dancing on the edge of delirium...how do I make it stop?"

"Ever hear of believing?You gotta have hope if you want anything to happen."

Jack laughed, digging his heel into the muddy dirt. He had had hope. But look where that got him-sitting defeated on a log in the middle of a jungle that he still had little knowledge of. Standing up, he brushed off his pants. "Thanks...I'll um...see ya later."

-----------------------

He needed to see her. He wanted to see her. It sounded strange, but the same thought ran through his mind on the way back to the hatch. He was tired, out of breath by the time he arrived.

Sayid looked up from something he was building, staring at him. "Where were you?"

"Out...talking to Locke."He said, taking a sip from a bottle of water. "Not that it did any good...is everything alright?"

"As far as I know...yes.Why?"

Jack shook his head, going back into the sick room.

Charlie sat at the foot of Claire's bed, speaking with her while Shannon was seemingly asleep.

Kate laid awake, staring at the ceiling. "You're back."She said, not even looking at him.

"Is something wrong?"He asked, worried.

"No.Well-"Kate locked eyes with him as he pulled a chair to he bedside.

"What is it?If something's wrong with you...as your doctor, I need to know."

Kate raised an eyebrow. "So...you're just my doctor?Not my...friend?"

He smiled, grabbing her hand. "I was speaking you know...medical wise."

"Ohhh..."Kate said, drawing it out.

An awkward silence fell upon them, filled with more questions than answers.

"So...Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"You seemed like something was wrong...when you walked in...are you okay?"Jack asked.

She sighed, closing her eyes. "It's my ankle...I thought it'd be fine by now but it still hurts."

Jack went to her ankle, touching it gingerly with his fingers. She flinched a little, causing him to smile.

The area that he assumed was scratched by the root had formed a puss like area, with a bruise around it.

"Does it hurt when I touch it?"

Kate tried to keep herself calm, tightening her calf muscle. "Not...really."

"That's good...Kate?"

She stared at him, almost afraid of the look on his face.

"Are you okay...really?"

"What?"

"Physically...you're healing.But mentally...are you..I mean-"Jack realized how awkward the question seemed.

Kate smiled. "I'll be fine. Jack...was what you said true?I mean...did you really give blood for me?"

''I had to, Kate.I l-"Jack stopped, looking away from her.

"You what, Jack?"Kate asked, wondering what he would have said. "Jack?"

"I care about you.So...you need your rest.I'll be back to check on you later."

---------------

I chose the title...I don't really know why-it just came to me...Jateness ahead...lol...just a warning.Thanks for the read!


	7. Cabin Fever

**A/N:As I promised...here is the next update to "The Waiting Game"-I'm really enjoying ****writing this, as I hope you are reading it. This chapter is on the longish side, I hope you ****don't mind. :)...R&R,please.**

_You can tell a great deal about a person when they're locked in small spaces. How they react to __different situations and people can vary with time. When people are stuck together, things happen- __words get said, looks get exchanged. And wether Kate and Jack were willing to admit it or not- __something was happening between them...and they had a choice wether or not to accept it._

It had been two days. Two days since the news of this new spring had come about, two days since Ana and Sawyer's 'walk'-and two more days had been added to Kate's time in the sick room.

Claire continued to steadily improve, and had actually been moved to a seperate room to help her heatlh improve more.

Shannon was talk more, making more sense than she had before. She was now able to lift her head a little, but Jack didn't want to brave letting her sit up yet.

Libby had been brought in, and at the current moment was being looked after by Charlie, who was warned by Hurley to not hurt her, and that if anything happened to her, he needed to know.

Then there was Kate. The sore on Kate's leg had to bed punctured, to clean out all of the pus. So far, it seemed to be healing, and physically, Kate seemed to change a little. Mentally, however, she seemed stuck. At times, she wanted to get better and others, she seemed frail and afraid of any change.

The door to the room opened, Jack stepping inside.

"Jack...I'm glad you came."

"Is something wrong?"Jack asked.

"No...well...not exactly."

"You're going to have to be more clearer than that, Charlie. I came to do the check-ups..there haven't been any problems, have there?"He asked, going to Libby's bedside.

"Oh...well...actually...I was..."Charlie looked away, slightly embarrassed at the situation.

"It's Claire, isn't it?"Jack asked, smiling. "Go ahead...you can go and see her while I'm here if you'd like."

Charlie nodded. "Thank You."

He left, leaving Jack to survey the patients. "Libby?"

The woman opened her eyes, twitching a little. "Who-"

"It's Jack...you've been out for a while...Hurley's been worried about you.I need to check your temperature.Is that okay?"Jack asked, sliding the thermometer into her mouth.

The room was silent while he did this, giving him time to think. He wanted to try something today,or atleast attempt it, but he wasn't sure if it would work.

He slid the thermometer out of Libby's mouth, staring at it. "You're running a fever...Could I...Could I ask you something?"

"Like I have much of a choice...lying here."Libby said, laughing.

"I'm just...curious.All the...all the other patients...well, the ones under my care, anyway...have one thing in common."

"What's that?"She asked, leaning her head against her pillow.

"Where you ever..."Jack paused, choosing his words carefully. "I noticed on your hand you had a little... like a scab."

She stared at her hand, running her thumb across it. "Ran into some barbed wire...it didn't exactly agree with me."Libby said, somehow getting the feeling that wasn't what Jack was asking.

"I know that you spent some time...through the jungle and such...did you at any time pass a spring someplace?"He asked, intent on finding the source of this.

Libby thought back a moment. "Well...yes.But I don't see what this has..."

"Thanks...I...I needed to know."

"What...But I don't understand why..." Jack cut her off, raising his hands.

"I'll have to explain later...I'm going to step out for just a second..."Jack said, going to the door.

Sticking his head out, he coughed. It all started to make sense now.

"Sayid!...Sayid, are you down here?"

"Dude...Sayid just left.Is it something I can do?"Hurley asked, not wanting to venture down the hall.

"Um...could you go and find him?Tell him it's urgent."

"Okay, Man...but I can't gurantee I can find-"

"Could you just find him...please?"Jack said, frustrated.

Hurley had gone off to find Sayid. When he returned, Jack told him how he had begun to put all of the pieces together. He told them how Kate, Shannon, Libby-even Claire and the others had had some sort of cut on them. How all of them had been to that same spring.

He told Sayid how he had suspected that it had something to do with the water in that area. He handed him water test strips-ones he had found in the hatch, hoping it would do some good.

When he returned to the room, Kate had awoken.

"Where were you?"She asked.

"I was in the hallway for a minute..I had to speak with Sayid."

"About what?"Kate asked.

Jack smiled, sitting at the foot of her bed. Even in times like this, she could still find a reason to be curious.

"The source of the virus...I think I may have found out what it was."He said, softly touching her ankle.

She winced a little, curling her leg back in.

"It still hurts, doesn't it?"

"I don't know why..."

"The spring...the one that you took Shannon to...my guess is that the water has some sort of bacteria in it...I don't know what but...you had an open sore.You cleaned the cut with the spring water, right?"

Kate stared at him suspiciously. "Yeah...but I've had cuts before...I cleaned them off with the water from the caves...How could-"

"Maybe they don't come from the same place...source, I mean...how are you?"He asked, wanting to change the subject.

She smiled, sighing. "You've got to be tired of asking that question."

"It's my job...I'm a doctor, you know."

"Yeah...and I'm glad.I just..."Kate stared past him, biting her lip.

"Kate-Kate...what-"

"Nothing's wrong, okay?"She said, growing upset. "I just...I've been laying down for the past five days getting flashlights shined in my eyes...thermometers jabbed into my mouth...I've been pumped full of medicine...not to mention blood...and not once-"

Jack put his hand on her arm, causing her to take a sharp breath.

"Not once has...has anyone asked me how I felt about it.Jack-I hate hospitals.I hate...''

"Doctors?"Jack said, smiling.

"Only the ones that have bad bedside manner."Kate said, smiling.

"I'm guessing I'm not in that bad group?"He asked, hopeful.

Kate shook her head, grabbing his hand. "No.You've been great...I just..."

She looked towards the wall, tired.

"You just what?Kate, you're never going to get fully better unless you tell me how you feel."

"How I feel?"Kate asked, turning towards him.

Jack blinked, realizing what he had said. "_What_ you feel, Kate.That's what I...meant to say.You know what?I need to go check on Claire in the..the next room and-"

"Jack."Kate said, firmly. "This...you...running..everytime we get close...that can't keep...happening."

He looked away, knowing she was staring right at him. "Look, I don't know what to tell you Kate. I'm sorry about..."

"Don't..apoligize."Kate said, smiling. "Look-go...check on Claire...but when you get back..."

Jack nodded on his way to the door. "Okay...I...I'll be back.

As he promised, Jack wenty to check up on Claire who was sitting up in her bed with only a little pain this time. When he returned, an awkward silence fell upon them.

"So.."Kate said.

"About...About earlier..."

"It's fine.I just wish I could...you know..get better.I know you're trying."She insisted.

Jack looked like he was contemplating something, not knowing how Kate would react.

"Jack-You have that...look...what are you gonna do?"Kate asked, cautious.

"You're right."He said, staring at her. "You've been stuck in here treated like nothing but a patient...you've been pushed around.I've taken a look at your chart.You're improving, Kate."

She stared back at him, eyes unsure.

"What do you want me to do...Jack..."

"No..No...you don't have to do it if you don't want to...I just want to see if you can...you know... walk on-"

"You want me to walk?Jack, my ankle still-"Kate leaned back on the pillow.

"That's what I'm here for.You trust me, right?"Jack asked.

"Of course."Kate said, cautiously placing her hand on the matress, lifting herself into a sitting position.

"That's...That's good."

"Shouldn't you call Hurley and Charlie in...you know...incase I fall?"Kate asked, nervousily as she swung her legs around, her feet finally reaching the floor.

"I can handle you.I just need...I need you to hold on to my arm, okay?"

She nodded.

"Okay...now...stand."

Kate looked at him, unsure. Taking a breath, she finally stood.

"I'm...standing."

Jack nodded. "Are you dizzy?...Do you feel nauseated at all?"

Kate turned her head towards him. "No...no more than when I was laying down."

"That's good.Can you try and walk for me?"

She took a step-shaky at first, wobbling here and there, but eventually she reached the door of the room.

She leaned against it, taking a deep breath. "Jack?"

He looked at her, still holding a firm grip on her arm.

"Thank you...For getting me out of that bed...I needed to...Breathe."She said, trying to lighten the mood.

"You're welcome, Kate.Do you want to try again?"

"Again?"

Jack went to get Charlie, instructing him to monitor Shannon and Libby.

"Where are we going?"Kate asked.

"See that room across the hall?''Jack asked.

"That's the room...the sleeping room, I mean.Why-"

"I don't want to brave going outside yet...but...it beats the four walls you've been stuck staring at."

Jack helped her into the other room, and was now double checking that she was indeed okay.

"Jack..."Kate said, worried.

"Kate what's...are you okay?"Jack asked, after shutting the door.

She shook her head. "I feel..."

"You feel what?Dizzy?...Sick..."

"Like I'm about to...fall..."Kate looked at him, her eyes unsure. "Make it stop...Help..."

Jack shook his head. "Listen...you need to...try this.Just please..."

"No, I can't.I can't.Just please...let me..."With that, her knees buckled, Jack catching her against his chest.

She was quiet for a minute, breathing deeply. Closing her eyes, that sick feeling passed. Realizing her close proximity to Jack, she tightened herself, stepping back.

"It's okay...to lean on me, you know."

Kate nodded. "I know.I just...Can we...sit?"

He helped her onto the mattress, leaning her against the wall. "Thanks."

"It's no problem."Jack said, his arm still around her shoulder.

Kate realized this shortly after he did, but felt too comfortable to say anything. Carefully, she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Do we have anything to eat?"

"Uh...Yeah..."Jack said, reaching for a box of cookies.

"That's...not exactly breakfast material..."

"Yeah...but I figured by now, you'd be pretty burnt out on Fruit and that noodle stuff Sun cooks up."

Kate laughed, looking at him. "I..haven't felt this relaxed in a long time."

"Me neither..."Jack said, still not moving his arm.

She took a bite out of a cookie, not breaking the line of sight they had. "You know...you can stop staring at me anytime now.I'm not gonna fall apart."

Jack smiled, shrugging. "I guess I was...taking care of a patient."He said.

"You always this comfy with your patients?"Kate said, not quite sure how to react.

He shook his head. "No."

"Mmm...Okay..."She said, wiping crumbs off from around her mouth. "What makes me different?

"Way to be suttle."Jack said, laughing.

Kate shot a glance his way. "I'm being serious, Jack."

He stared back at her, not sure if he was ready for what she was approaching. "Kate-you know maybe we should get you back into the other room...you're...looking a little pale."

She shook her head firmly. "No, Jack...I asked you a question.I'm not just going to go back to my corner like a good little girl...seriously...what makes me different?"

Jack's fingers intertwined with hers, more out of habit than anything. He had expected her to pull away, but he had to admit he was glad when she didn't.

"I don't know where to start."Jack said.

"The beginning's always nice."

"That's true...I just...feel this...thing."He said, unsure how to say it. Looking at Kate, she seemed quiet-vulnerable almost. He didn't want to do anything to upset her.

"Thing?"Kate asked.

"I don't know,Kate...you sure you wanna go there?"

She nodded, sighing. "This isn't medication talking...this is me.Jack...you keep pushing me away every single time..."She stopped, closing her eyes.

"You alright?"Jack asked.

Kate opened her eyes, nodding. "I just have a headache...I'll be fine if you'll-"

"You wanna know the truth, Kate...I can't get you out of my head, okay?From the moment Sayid brought you into the sick room...you've been the one constant...every time I close my eyes I see the image of you in his arms, limp...pale...wet...vulnerable...''

"I can't get you outta my head.And you know what?I'm okay with that. I'm okay with loving you...I'm okay with seeing that sarcastic smirk on your face every single day.But staring at you...sleeping...sick on a bed like that...I can't take that, Kate...I see you.Not this...fake front you put up.Wether you admit it or not...that's not you.And you know what?...I'm okay with that."

Kate's mouth hung open not sure what to say.

"Jack..."

"I'm...I'm sorry.I shouldn't have..."

He looked away from her, afraid of seeing the look in her eyes.

"You meant it, didn't you?"Kate said, breaking the tension in the room.

"What?"

"You...you said you loved me.You meant it, didn't you?"


	8. Escape

**Okay, I love you guys.I love Jate. I love...writing?I don't know. Anyway, I took a while to ****come up with this chapter 'cause I was afraid I'd mess it up. Hopefully I did that Jaters proud.**

**R&R, please!**

**------------------------------**

_Honesty is important in any art. In drawing, acting, singing ,dancing.-Lying?Could Lying be considered __an art? Perhaps. But, doesn't that sound a little cliche'? And of course-how can one be honest when __they're lying? The point is-is that when faced with a question as serious as Kate asked-Jack knew he __had to be honest. Because Love is considered an art-it takes work. And Kate? Well, she was a work __of art._

Jack stared back at her, sure of what he wanted to say-but not sure how to say it.

"Jack?"She repeated, eyes hopeful.

"Yes.I meant it."He said, looking across the room.

Kate, clearly shocked by his announcement wanted to run. But she couldn't run. She couldn't leave-she could barely walk as it was. So she sat. She sat, and she prayed words would come.

He looked over at her, gauging her response. He loved her. As much time he spent lying to himself, lying to Sawyer, Kate-everyone...he loved her.

"Kate?"He said, hoping he hadn't offended her.

She looked at him, smiling weakly. "Thank You."

Jack stared back at her, puzzled. He had expected some big speach, or an explanation. But instead, his eyes met with hers-silent.

He felt he should ask why, but knew better. "You needed to know."

She swallowed, nodding. "Right."

"Right."

Jack looked over at her, wishing she'd say more. He'd scared her-he knew it. She was scared and he knew it. "Look, If you don't-"

"But I do."

He jumped back, surprised by her reaction. "What?"

She looked at him, a look of vulnerability in her eyes. "I'm tired, Jack. I'm tired of being this big, strong independent person that everyone thinks I am. It's who I am now-because that's all I know. That's what I've been forced to be my whole life. And when the plane crashed-here on the island...I knew that's what I had to be.Then I met you."

Jack smiled, squeezing her shoulder.

"I don't know why I started gravitating towards you. I just feel a need to be close to someone who was like me. Damaged...hurt."Kate stopped, laughing. "I'm sorry, Jack.I-"

"It's fine, Kate. I understand."

She smiled, his voice sounding so soft so...soothing. "Jack?"She said, fighting the feeling that was starting to come over her.

''Yeah?"

Smiling, Kate laughed. "I love you, too."

He had expected something different. A laundry list of reasons why 'they' couldn't happen. He felt the weight of her head falling on his shoulder as she slumped over.

"Kate?"He called, worried.

Shaking her a bit, Jack felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Kate?"He repeated, a little louder.

Lifting her chin, he was met with her eyes, somewhat more distant than they were before. "Damn.Charlie!"

He screamed his name, praying the man would hear him, but knowing he wouldn't. Carefully standing, he tried his best to support her weight. "Come on, Kate."He said, as if that would help.

"Jack..."She whispered, trying to stay awake.

"It's okay."Jack said, more to himself than her.

Eventually, he managed to get her back into her bed across the hall, feeling frantic.

"What happened?"Charlie asked.

"We were talking.She just leaned against me, feeling weak I guess."Jack said, checking her blood pressure. He wasn't sure why he did-any precautions now.

Staring at her, he wondered if she'd remember. She's said she loved him. He knew that things would be different between them now, he just wasn't sure how different.

--------------------------------

"Jack!"Sayid called, climbed over fallen tree limbs. After the incident with Kate in the hatch, he left.

Jack kept walking, ignoring Sayid. He didn't know where he was going exactly, he just wanted to get away.

"Stop walking."Sayid said, this time in a more warning voice.

Turning around, Jack faced him. "What?"

"What happened?The way you tore out of there, you looked like you could have killed someone.You're no good to her like that."

Stirring the leaves beneath his feet, Jack sighed. He knew Sayid was right. He knew that he left, but he wasn't sure why. Looking around them, it wasn't until then did he realize how far out into the jungle he'd ventured.

"I'm sorry, Sayid.I shouldn't have-"

"This is the spring."Sayid said. "The one they came to."

"Oh."Jack said, surprised.

-------------------------------------

Charlie sat in a chair before Kate's bed, wishing she'd wake up. The way Jack tore out of the room-desperate to leave-he almost felt worried for him.

"Is somebody here?"

Looking up, he went to Libby's bedside.

"Hi"She said, seemingly distracted.

"Are you okay?"Charlie asked.

Libby looked towards the wall, laughing aloud.

Frowning, Charlie was confused.

"It sounds immature.I just had a-"Libby stopped, coughing. "A bad dream."

Charlie laughed. "It's quite fine.All of us have those every once in a while.Just relax."

"If it were only that easy.How is everyone?"

"Everyone?"

"Outside of this...place."

"Oh-"Charlie said. "Well-Hurley reads alot.Locke-well, he's Locke.I'll never understand him.The beach is pretty quiet without everybody down there."

She smiled, almost content.

Sun entered the room. "Charlie?"

He looked towards her. "Yeah?"

"Claire asked to see you."

"You can go."Libby said, nudging him.

He left the room, which left Sun to attend to the patients. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Libby coughed, clearing her throat. "I'm thirsty."

Sun nodded. Amongst supplies, they found juices. Figuring that they needed vitamins, Sun poured her some of the juice.

"Anything else?"

Libby shook her head, indicating no.

She walked over to Shannon, studying the girl. She seemed to quite, so frail. Her eyes were sunken from the sleep. She was tired. Even when she was sleeping she was tired. She had had a dream the night before. She was running. From what she couldn't say.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sun thought she should wake her up. "Shannon?"

Opening her eyes, Shannon tried to speak. "Sun?"

"Yes.On your chart-it says you should be taking these.Jack said you should stay awake for a while after that."

Though a look on uncertainty shrouded her eyes, Shannon did as Sun asked.

-------------------------

"You're sure you are alright?"Sayid asked as they arrived back at the caves.

"Yeah."He said, tossing Sayid a bottle of water.

"To be honest you had me worried. You have been down there so long everyone has been worried about you.Maybe spending the day out of the hatch will be good for you."

''The Day?"Jack asked, surprised.

Sayid stared back at him. "I figured you would spend the day out here.Sawyer has a sprained arm, you know."He said, sarcasm tinging his voice.

Though he felt somewhat guilty about it, Jack knew Sayid was right.

"Fine.I'll stay out here.But once my shift starts-"

"You go back."

------------------------

Kate stirred in the bed, waking up.

_Where am I?_Kate thought to herself. _And where's Jack?_

The sheets felt itchy around her, like they were crawling. Squirming, Kate tried to focus on something else.

_Where is Jack?_ She thought, looking around.

Her mind went to the last thing she remembered.

_I love you, too._

And she froze. _He knows_. The solitary thought that ran through her head was not of when she'd walk again, or when the itching of the sheets would stop. The truth ran rampant in her mind. He knew.

Shutting her eyes, she almost wished it was a dream. _He can't.He probably thinks it's something __due to the meds. He has to._

Kate knew better. When they were across the hall, something changed with them. It wasn't like before, when they could hide everything, pretending like it wasn't there. Now-everything was out in the open-like when you rip off a band aid. And sickness or not-she couldn't hide.


	9. Admitting the truth

**Okay, so I would have had this up sooner, but I was having a few technical difficulties.:(**

**In any case-Hope you like it.Thanks to Katy for the help.:)**

**-----------------**

_When you're cooped up in small places for a long time-it does stuff to you. You get crowded, things __start happening and like it or not-not everything is in your control. Jack was having that problem. __Sayid was watching him now, making sure that he did what he said. The problem?He couldn't focus._

Jack threw the guava seed across the camp, more out of habit than anything. This time though-it was more forceful.

"You know..."Sawyer said, walking up to him. "Throwin' seeds around...that don't solve much."

"How's your arm?"Jack asked, ignoring Saywer's sarcastic tone.

"It's been better...how are they?"

Jack thought he actually caught a glimpse of care in his eye, but realized it was only due to Kate.

It should have worried him, but thinking back to what she said, he smiled.

"Claire might be well enough to come out for a while tomorrow.The rest...well...They're sick, Sawyer.You can't expect them to just magically get better."

"Didn't say that. All I asked was how _they_ were.Not just Freckles."

Jack laughed, sighing.

"Why are you out here, anyway, Doc?Cabin Fever got to ya?"

"Actually...yes.But I'm heading back in a few hours.Until then...I'm out here.Doing...Nothing."He said, realizing how crazy it would make him-just waiting.

Locke walked up to them. "Jack..."

'Yeah?"

''That transmitter?Apparently, Sayid's been working on it.He wants a group to go up and try it again."

"We've been through that already.The only wave we can get is coming from around here...the one from the island."Jack said, discouraged.

"Well-I'm not sure what he did. He swears he fixed the button...the one that broke when...''Locke stopped, watching the sensitivity in Jack's eyes. He'd barely been away from Kate for more than a few hours, and he already missed her.

"Okay.When are they going?"

"Now.Are you comin' or not?"

---------------------------

Kate woke up again, coughing. For a split second, she felt surrounded by smoke, like something was holding her back.

"No!"She cried. "Help...please."

Charlie jumped up from his place across the room. "Kate!Kate, are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine.I'm..."She broke out coughing again.

Charlie felt her head, her temperature had obviously risen. "Okay...Um...Jack said to give you one of these if this happened..."He said, reaching for a vial.

"No.No...i'm fi-"Kate lifted her head, turning a shade of red.

"Okay.Just...drink.Water..."Charlie said, clearly nervous. "Drink the water, Kate..."

She breathed in deep, gripping the sides of the bed. "Where's Jack?"

"He's outside, I believe."

The water seemed to help a little, it slowed her coughing atleast. It wasn't until then did Charlie see the rash that had formed around her neck. "Bloody..."

"What?"

"Nothing...I...I'm going to go and...get Sun.I'll be-"

"No, Charlie...you can't leave.You can't..."Kate began coughing again, more like wheezing this time.

"Kate-breathe. on-"Charlie felt desperate, knowing full well that Jack should be there.

After a few minutes of coaxing, Kate seemed to calm down. "Where's Jack?"She asked again, this time she seemed more vulnerable than anything.

Her voice seemed like that of a little child. She needed something, but she wasn't sure as of yet what it was.

"He's outside...I could have Sun find him if you want..."

"No.I-could you go get her?"Kate asked, suddenly feeling like she wanted him to leave.

"I guess I could."Charlie said. The man was claerly scared for her, for all of them-but he was clueless as far as anything other than the emotional side of caring.

---------------

Charlie had left to go get Sun, and returned with her within several minutes. "I'll just-leave you guys alone."

"You wanted to see me?"Sun asked, standing near Kate's bed.

Forcing herself into a sitting position, Kate winced. "To be honest-I just wanted him out of the room.I know it sounds mean but he was making me feel more nervous than anything."

Sun laughed a little, sitting down. "I understand.How are you feeling?"

Kate smiled a little, shrugging. "As good as can be expected, I guess.If you had something to do-you don't have to stay..."

"No.It's quite fine."Sun said. "I'm going to go check on Libby and Shannon.Do you need anything?"

Kate shook her head, and Sun went to check on Libby and Shannon.

To the surprise of the both of them, Shannon was the healthier of the two. ''Hey-"She said, smiling.

"Do you feel any I have something to drink?"Shannon asked, trying to sit up.

Sun went, getting Shannon some of the supplies she had found. "Drink slowly...you do not want to flood yourself too fast." Taking the cup from her, she sat it on a table close to the bed. "I would let you sit up-but I don't know what Jack's intention's were-"

"Where is the doctor, anyway?"Libby spoke up from across the room.

-----------------

Charlie opened the door to Claire's room, smiling when he saw she was awake. "Hi."

"Hey.Jack let you come back?"

"No.I-well...he left.He's outside...I went.I saw Aaron-"

"How is he?"Claire asked, her face lighting up.

"He misses his mum."Charlie said, pulling a chair towards where she was laying.

"Jack said he's going to let me go outside for a little while tomorrow...do you think he'd want to see me?"

Charlie laughed a little, glad the mood had lightened. "Of course he would...I would have stayed with him but Hurley insisted I go back...he's actually making Aaron laugh. Not that he understands a word Hurley says but-"

"You left my baby with Hurley?"Claire asked, somewhat surprised.

"He's great with him, actually...Aaron's fine, Claire.Just...relax."

His words seemed to calm her a little, save for a slight look in her eyes. She seemed distracted, clearly from everything that had been happening.

"Charlie?"

"Yeah?"Charlie asked.

"How are they?Shannon and Kate, I mean.I feel bad...because well-how can I be getting better if they aren't?"

"They are, Claire.Kate well...she had a coughing fit earlier.But everything's fine.Listen-I'm going to go back out there...for a little while.If you need anything...just..."He smiled as he saw her. She looked happy this time.

-------------------

Several hours had passed, and Jack had returned to the camp. He, Sayid and Locke had found a signal, but it had faded away before anything could be found out. After another few failed tries, they had decided it would be best to quit for the day.

Jack was making his way back to the hatch when he was stopped by Ana."What do you want?"

"Have you seen Sawyer?"She asked.

"No.Why would I?"He said, seeming a little annoyed.

"I think he took somethin' of mine and I'd like to think that maybe I could get it back."

Jack laughed, shaking his head. "Have fun trying..."

"What is it?This thing between you two.You act like you're in high school fighting over the same girl the way you do."Ana said, her hand on her hip. "Whatever-have you seen him?"

"Last I saw, he was at the caves."Jack said before walking off.

---------------------

When he went inside the hatch, he wasn't surprised by the scene he found. Charlie sat on a couch nearby, scribbling something down in a book. Other than that, everything seemed still.

"Whatcha doing?"Jack asked, grabbing a bottle of water.

"Oh...they're lyrics."Charlie said, showing him the page.

"Oh."Jack said, not that interested.

"Not that anyone'll ever read them...or hear'em sung but..."Charlie sighed, staring at the doctor.

"To be honest...I'm surprised you stayed away as long as ya did.Something wrong?"

"Nope.Sayid kinda made me stay away."Jack said, laughing. He took a large swig from the bottle, twisting the cap back on. "Isn't it still your shift?"

Charlie looked up from what he was doing, nodding. "Kate kind of ushered me out...said she needed to talk to Sun. I've been out here ever since she had the episode-"

Jack laughed, shaking his head. "That's Kate for you, I guess.What do you mean episode?"

He watched the expression on Charlie's face change, obviously realizing he had slipped on something."

"Charlie?What happened to Kate?"

No answer came from Charlie. Rather, his eyes widened, as if clamoring for an excuse. ''It was nothing, Jack. There's nothing to worry about."

"Then why won't you tell me what happened?"Jack asked, seemingly not noticing how upset he was getting.

"She had a bloody cough attack, okay?She started coughing, her face getting red-I gave her something to drink and she was fine.She had a fever-but she's fine Jack."

"Why didn't you tell me?You could have sent someone to find me."

"The way you tore out of here?Jack, noone wanted to see you like that.It's not like you two are that into each other...I figured that it was nothing I couldn't handle.Kate's fine now.Shannon's getting better...and Libby can speak without coughing. She can move without pain.Jack-"Charlie stopped, watching the look on Jack's face.

"You should have found me...regardless.What if you couldn't solve it?What if it was something more, huh? You wouldn't have known what to do.Kate could have been..."Jack stopped himself, begging himself to calm down.

"I'm sorry, Charlie..I just-"

Charlie saw the man-saw how clearly shaken he was. "You do love her, don't you?Jack-I apoligize for not coming to find you.I But you've got to stay calm.You have to believe she'll get better."

----------------

After calming down, Jack paced around the hatch. Should he go in? Should he talk to her? Or should he try avoiding that area, unless it was his shift. He knew his started, in minutes actually.

But remembering that last words she said. _"I love you, too"_-He kept asking himself if she meant it.

Had what she said been medicine induced? The way he went off on Charlie, he knew he shouldn't have.

But he loved Kate. As much as he'd spent trying to hide it-Jack truly loved Kate. Hearing the door to the room she was in open, he saw Sun step out into the hallway.

"Jack?Kate asked to see you. Since it is your shift now-I figured you would go in."

"Thank You.Um-were there any problems?With the other two patients?'

"No.Claire is doing better as well.Getting excited about going outside tomorrow, too."Sun said, seeming to understand.

Jack nodded, heading into the sick room. He saw her, felt her staring at him.

"Jack?"She asked, in a sitting position.

He shut the door behind him,heard in click shut. "Yes?"

She bit her lip, knowing it wasn't something she could avoid. "Can we-Can we talk?"

"Sure."He said, pretending he didn't know what about.

"What I said-I meant it, you know."

-----------------------

**I know that wasn't jam-packed with Jate or anything.But the next chapter should be them ****talking and stuff like that. I wanted to include a PB&J scene in here...I think it worked fine the ****way it did. Also, I'm probably going to include a Shayid scene soon (because I miss them)...but ****yeah...Jack and Kate are just getting to the point where they're comfortable with everything...**

**Thanks for reading. Now...click the purple button-let me know what ya think!**


	10. Arms of an Angel

**A/N:Thanks to all who reviewed...it means a lot to me to know that people are reading this.**

**I may have some more up sometime today. But it's the Fourth of July-so I'm not sure. To all in the US-Happy Independence day!To all the others on here...hope you have a good day as well. To all the Jaters (which duh-everyone who reads this fic)...there's some Jate coming. (Meaning like a whole chapter, minus other people popping in)...R&R!**

**----------------**

_Sometimes when we want something to happen-we have to be truly willing first. Regardless of what __happens-we have to, above all else, be honest. Not just to other people...But to ourselves._

"You meant it?"Jack said, somewhat relieved.

"Yes, Jack.I did mean it.And...I was hoping that you did, too."

"Of course, Kate.I-"Jack paused, looking around the room. He grabbed her hand, wetting his lips.

"I'm sorry if you thought I didn't...because I do."

Kate smiled, nodding. "That's good."She said, looking away from him. "So..."

"So...I think that maybe we should-"Jack paused, his throat feeling dry.

"Talk about it?What's there to talk about?"Kate asked, feeling guilty after she did. "It's not like you'd ever want to stay with me anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"Jack asked, concerned.

Her eyes were full of a certain sadness, an echo of happiness barely reaching the surface.

"My whole life..."Kate said, her voice cracking. "I've been the one to make decisions..I've lied...I've cheated. I've pretended...all for the sake of survival. I'm _tired_ of being the strong one. I'm tired of acting like everything's perfect on the island when we all know it's not.Jack?"

His eyes seemed more soft this time. More understanding. "I don't know everything, Kate.I just know that I do love you.And I'll keep saying it until you believe me. Because"Jack said, shrugging.

There wasn't much to say. Kate was getting stronger by the minute, but judging by what happened with Charlie before, she wasn't out of the woods yet. Even in the pale glow of the sick room, Kate was beautiful to him. Her dark brown locks still held back by a pony tight, a few ringlets had fallen loose.

A smile formed on her lips when she realized he was staring at her. "Jack?"

He looked up, visibly blushing a little. "Yeah?"

"Do you think I could take a shower?I mean-I could have someone sit right outside the door if you wanted. I'm not a doctor but-"

"You're right."Jack said, feeling like she hadn't said what she'd wanted to say. "Um...I think there's a towel in here somewhere. Do you want someone to go up and get you some things from your bag?"

"I guess.Are you sure it's okay?"Kate asked, shakily swinging over the edge of the bed.

It wasn't until then did Jack realize how weak she really was. He wasn't used to this side of Kate-weak and vulnerable.

"If you need anything-you feel weak at all..."

''I'll holler.I promise."Kate said as she stood.

-------------

"Where are you taking her?"Sayid asked after having entered the hatch. After the debacle with Jack, Charlie had left which currently put Sayid on numbers watch.

"She wants to take a shower. Do you think it's safe?"

Sayid smiled, sensing a change in the air. Fumbling with the trasciever again, he nodded. "I don't see a problem with it."

-----------

Kate stood in the shower stall, steam surrounding her. Picking up the Dharma issued shampoo, she inhaled the scent.

As sad as it was, she couldn't remember the last time she'd had an actual shower. Scrubbing the shampoo into her hair, Kate's mind went back to the conversation she'd had with Jack.

A smile formed on her lips-he meant it,too.

-----------

Jack sifted through Kate's bag-the one that was in her tent. "Come on...she has to have something..."

Sawyer had been staring at him for some time now, debating wether or not to walk up to him.

''Does Freckles know you're out here goin' through her stuff?"He asked, leaning against a tree.

"Saywer-"Jack said, trying to protest.

"No, No...I think it's kinda cute, actually."

Jack stared back at him, a look of clear confusion on his face.

"Oh, ya know-"Sawyer said, grinning. "Like in high school-one of the guys'd be dared to go into the girls' locker room...see what good stuff he'd find. I never pegged you as the kinda guy that'd do that, Doc."

"Not that it's any of your business-but she needed a change of clothes.And ya know-you could try bein' a little nice to me...I'm the one on charge of your pain meds, remember?"

"Well...''Sawyer stammered, clearly seeing that he had nothing left to say. "Just...ya know-give my best to everyone down there."He said before walking off.

------------

Kate climbed out of the shower feeling somewhat better than before. The scratched, dirty mirror was nowhere near big enough for her to tell-but she was somewhat better than she had been before.

"Where is he?"She muttered aloud, tousling her hair a bit. The towel Jack had given her was now tightly wrapped around her as she leaned against the wall, waiting for someone to come with her clothes.

Staring into the mirror, Kate reached forward, wiping off some of the steam. Strands of her hair clung to her face, her eyes seemed to stick out the most, though. They weren't tired-or even sad.

"Kate, I'm gonna leave your-"Jack said, rather loudly. "I'm...I'm sorry.I was going to leave your clothes on the sink.But you're out now so-"

Blushing a little, Kate checked the towel before taking her clothes from him. Her hand lingered close to his before pulling away.

Apparently noticing it, Jack smiled.

"What?"Kate asked, her mouth hanging open.

"Nothing.I should probably get back-Sayid went to watch Shannon and Libby while I went."Jack said.

"Okay."Kate said, trying her best to not look disappointed. "I should get back, too.Did you get a brush?"

Jack felt his back pocket, sighing. "It must've dropped out while I was walking back.I'm sorry."

Kate stared back at him, shrugging. The door was slightly opened, due to him coming in, which allowed for a cool stream of air to infiltrate the warm cacoon of air that had blanketed the bathroom.

"I should get back now."Jack said, apolegetic. "How are you feeling,though?Do you feel any better?"

She smiled a little, leaning into him. Kate wouldn't admit it, but while she did feel better, something still wasn't sitting right with her. "I'm good.Thanks-"She said, holding up the change of clothes.

Realizing how close they were, Jack felt a sense of panic. The last thing he wanted was to upset her.

Leaning close to her, Kate could feel his breath slowly greeting hers. Biting her lip, Kate laughed nervousily.

"Kate?"Jack asked, as if in permission. She nodded sheepishly, without looking into his eyes. Reaching towards her, Jack grasped her face in his hands, kissing her. He wanted the moment to last, to let her know that he did truly love her-that he would always be there.

But as her knees buckled, he went back into protector mode, quickly grabbing her before she fell to the floor.

"Um...Jack?"Kate asked several minutes later, him still holding her. "Are you gonna let go?"

"Right."Jack said, looking away. He seemed disappointed, but as he walked out of the room he knew it was for the best.

-----------

Sayid sat on the edge of Shannon's bed. She had woken up again several moments before, glad to see him there, she smiled.

"You know-"Sayid said. "You are getting better. You are going to be out of here soon."

She stared at him, a little suspicious. But seeing the look in his eyes, Shannon knew that he was probably right.

"I'm just tired of laying here."She said, straining to sit up.

"Here, let me help you."Sayid insisted.

"No.I can get it."Shannon said, propping herself up on her elbows. "Where's Kate?"

"Jack took her to take a shower. If you feel up to it-"

"Sayid?"

The sounding of his name caught him a little off guard. "Yes?"

Shannon smiled weakly, but nodded her head towards him. "Thank You."

"Shannon-there is no need to thank me.Jack, Sun and me-we've all taken care of you. Kate, Libby and Claire as well."

"I know I probably haven't been the best person to deal with. Everything's so-"Shannon stopped, feeling a sharp pain in her head.

"Are you alright?"When no answer came, Sayid moved closer. Removing her hand from her forehead, he looked into her eyes, concerned. "What happened?"

"I don't know.I just-It just happened.I felt fine and then-"

"Maybe you should lie back down."Sayid said, helping her to lay back down.

"You know-It's probably just a headache."Shannon said, watching him. "Sayid?-There's nothing to worry about.I feel fine now."

Sayid stared back at her, nodding. "That may be true.But can you blaim me for worrying?"

She smiled a little, seemingly amused. "I guess not."

Jack entered the room, wiping off his forehead on a towel.

"Is everything alright?"Sayid asked, a little concerned.

Jack nodded. "Yeah.She'll be in shortly."

Sayid shook his head.

"What?"

"You're worried about her one minute-the next it seems like you want nothing more to do with her."

"Is this about what happened earlier?Sayid-"He was cut off by Sayid holding up a hand.

"No matter.All I'm saying is that it's already clear that you love her. Now you have to make sure that it does not get in the way of you doing your job.I'm not saying that it will."

Jack nodded, not sure if he should be offended. A sound was heard from Libby's bedside. "Libby?"

''Jack?"

"It's me."He said, checking the time. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly?Like I got hit by a truck.But I've felt worse."

Jack went to get some of the medicine. ''It's time for you to take some medicine. Can you sit up?"

She tried, with pain. But eventually the medicine was taken.

"I'm on duty for the next little while.If you feel any change...good or otherwise let me know."

"I'll do that."Libby assured him before he walked away.

"I'm going to go check on Claire for a minute."Jack said, before leaving the room.

-------------

When he returned, Kate still hadn't come back.

"She should be here by now."Jack said, more to himself than anyone else.

Going to where the shower was, he felt an almost sense of panic seeing her, sitting on the ground, leaning against the doorframe. "Kate?"

She opened her eyes, a little startled to see him kneeling before her. "Jack.I tried to go back.I fell."

Looking at her, he nodded. "It's fine.I'm not mad. I was just worried."

"Worried?"

Jack nodded, smiling a little. "Come on, let me help you back into the other room."

"I can walk."Kate protested, trying to stand. But failing, she sat back on the ground.

"Kate-you probably pulled something in the fall. Even if you didn't, you're still weak.Let me carry you."

His words seemed to surprise her. Looking up at Jack, eyes unsure, Kate simply nodded.

Picking her up, almost effortly, he let out a sigh. "Kate?"

"Yeah?"Kate asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I feel safe."She assured him.

"How did you-"

Kate laughed a little, her mood lightened. As they were heading back to the room, she shrugged, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I just did.That's not a bad thing, is it?"

"No."Jack said, stopping outside the door of the room. He contemplated going to another-or even taking her to the room Claire was in. She was getting better. But the fall outside of the bathroom proved that maybe she wasn't ready.

"Are we gonna go in?"

---------------------

**Hope you guys liked it. The title comes from a Sarah Mclachlan song-one of my favorites. In any case, click that little purple button...let me know what you think!**


	11. Where we stand

**A/N:Okay, if anyone is still interested in this story (which, by the way, I hope you are)...Here is the next chapter. I contemplated just updating it to hiatus state, but I've been getting ideas and people asking about it, so I wanted to update.**

**To make one thing clear-I didn't abandon this fic. It's Jate, how could I:)...But for a few weeks, I could barely do anything-I had writer's block, and everything that came was forced...but this chapter was supposed to be special, and I didn't want to screw it up. Then, for about a month or so, I was having computer issues-which resulted in getting a new computer. But I digress-now, School is back in, I'm in AP Lang and AP Lit so hopefully that'll show in the sense that maybe the tone (my Language teacher will love me for saying that) and the differences will make sense. Now, on to the part that actually matters for the story:**

**There has been time that's passed. Basically, Claire is pretty much healed all together. She's regaining her strength, but is no longer in the hatch. Shannon is better as well, but still requires monitoring. As for Libby, she was moved to another room. Kate...well, she is able to walk on her own (but, Jack of course walks "with" her) outside, she's pretty much healed as well. Okay, well, if you read all that-Thank you bunches!**

**To answer any questions, this chapter is pretty much fluff...not in the sense that it is filler, but well...I don't want to spoil anything. Oh, and I should mention that there aren't that many chapters left. But (thanks to a few ideas from Katy, as well as some much needed inspiration)...I am working on a new fic to post. So...on to the story. Read and Review, Please!...I'll love you ever so much...**

**-----------------**

Kate leaned against the tree, drinking from the bottle of water.

"We can sit if you want."Jack said, stretching.

Smiling, Kate wiped the sweat from her brow. "You tired?"

"No...but I figured you were.So...''

"So...you're still worried I'm gonna fall, aren't you?"Kate asked, growing concerned.

Staring back at her, Jack knew she was right. But no matter what she did, he'd always be worried-somewhere in the back of his mind, he'd always keep the image of her collapsing into his arms. It scared him. But seeing her stand by herself before him, it made him proud.

"I admit i'm still a little worried."He defended.

Shrugging, Kate drew a deep breath. "I guess I can accept that.Where exactly are we going?"She asked, surveying the area around them.

"You said you wanted to walk.I just figured we'd walk around...Actually-"He said, laughing a little. "I was kind of following you."

Kate wanted to be mad at him for the look on his face, but she couldn't bring herself to be mad. Figuring it was a good thing, she shook her head. "You..."She said, squinting her eyes.

"What?"

"Please tell me you're kidding.Because..."Kate said, staring up at the trees. "I really don't know where we are."

Jack mirrored back at her the same look of disbelief. Quickly averting his eyes from hers, he tried to rub the tension from his neck. "I uh...I was following you, Kate.So tell me-where are we?"

"You think I know?"Kate whined, growing a little annoyed. "I don't know where we are, Jack.You're the...expert."

"Expert?"

"You save people.You-You're supposed to know this place."

"I think that's Locke that you're referring to."Jack said, finding the situation quite amusing.

Playfully, Kate it him in the arm, making it sore. "You're not helping. Now, we came from that way-"She said, pointing in the direction that they had come. "So I guess we should go back that way."

"Kate, we've been walking for an hour or so.You're probably dehydrated, so why don't we just stay here for a minute.Rest up."

"Stop worrying, okay?I can make the trip back."Kate said, not willing to admit to herself that she was indeed feeling a little dizzy.

Studying her eyes, Jack could tell she was saying what she did to make him happy. Truthfully though, he'd rather have some time alone with her than heading straight back to what he knew would be an onslaught of "what took so long"'s and "where were you"'s.

"Fine."Kate said, sitting on a log. "But I'm not happy."

Jack couldn't help but laugh. "Okay."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Jack studying Kate as she ate. He felt a sense of warmth, of happiness as he watched her. From the moment Sayid had carried her in, he had been constantly worried. Jack was afraid that something would happen to her, or that if he left her side without keeping tabs on her that something would surely go wrong.

Wiping the juice from the papaya she was eating from her chin, Kate looked back at him. It was always like that, exchanging glances. Short, quick looks that said so much without a word.It was Kate who first broke the silence.

"So it looks like it could rain soon.We'd probably be better off if we just found some shelter around here. Unless you want to hurry back."

Jack shook his head, staring of at the sky. "No, I think you're right." Looking around, he tried to find a tree or rock of some sort that would be able to shield them from what he knew was coming. It had already started sprinkling.

"I think I saw something."Kate said, gathering everything up and placing it back in her bag. "It was back on the trail."

"Good.Lead the way."Jack said. He had insisted on carrying everything-Kate was still recovering he said.

Several minutes down the path, they came across a concaved rock formation next to what that had guessed used to be a pond, but had since for the most part. "Go!"Jack said, trying his best to shield her from the torrent of rain drops that started to fall.

"Are you okay?Comfortable?"Kate asked him after they had settled. She was half sitting against the rock wall, but due the the confined space, was leaning into Jack.

"As comfortable as I can be, I guess. This one probably won't last long. Look, maybe if I-"Jack said shifting. He was still concered about Kate, worried about her getting wet.

"No.It's okay."She said, looking back at him. "God, it's pouring down hard."She said a little louder so he could hear her over the rain.

They held each other's eyes for a moment, feeling a rush of sudden warmth. Despite that, Kate felt herself shiver from the cold. Smiling, she felt Jack place his arm around her, feeling him pull her even closer. "Thanks."

"It's no problem."Jack said, staring back at her. "Kate?"He asked, his voice low. It wasn't really intended to be a question, more a mere utterance of her name. But seeing her, watching her there, it was as if he needed reassurance.

Nodding her head, Kate sighed. Wetting her lips, she thought she caught Jack staring again but settling into him again, it didn't seem to matter.

"Hey."He said after a few minutes. "The rain's letting up a little, do you wanna go ahead?"

"No."Kate said suddenly. "I'm...fine here."

Jack laughed, contemplating on her sudden decision.

"Would you stop?"She asked, looking back at him.

"What?"

"Staring.You're staring.Is there a problem?Am I...you know what?Nevermind."

He loved her. As if there was ever any doubt, it was confirmed there. At times, Jack found Kate so utterly stubborn. Others, he wanted nothing more than to take care of her to assure that everything would be content and safe. It wasn't until then did Jack realize the closeness of their sitaution-one they hadn't been in since they had been caught in the net. He thought she noticed it, too.

"Jack?"Kate asked. "I need you to be honest with me.Am I okay?I mean-I feel okay.But you-you're the doctor. So are you worrying because of that? Is the constant staring a means to monitor my health or is it because you actually want to?"

The question caught Jack off guard, but he figured it was worthy of an answer. "I'll always be worried, Kate."He said, his voice rough. "I love you-so that'll never change. But yes, I think that next time we go on a walk we either bring someone who knows better or-"

"We go to a place we're familiar with."Kate said, feeling somewhat nervous. "But I have to be honest."

"About what?''Jack asked, not noticing the fact that the rain had slowed down.

"I...might of..taken a wrong turn on purpose."Kate declared, trying to gauge his reaction.

"On purpose."Jack said, amused. "You were trying to get me alone?"

Kate shook her head. "That's not what I meant.Look, Jack-I love you.You know?And that's something that for me is hard to admit.I guess I just wanted more time than normal so I could-"

"Get more time alone with me.Kate?"Jack asked, lifting her chin. "You don't have to be sorry."

She smiled, his eyes reassuring her. "That's good."

"Okay.Now-"

Before he could continue, she leaned in to kiss him. It seemed natural, allieviating any doubt or nervousness that was in the air. The wind kicked up a little, drawing in some of the rain to them. Pulling back from him, Kate's hand rested firmly on his cheek.

Slowly letting out the breath he had been holding, Jack leaned his forehead against hers. Neither of the wanted to break the tranquility of the moment, each dared the other silently to say anything.

"It's getting late."Jack said, causing Kate's heart to sink a little. "We should probably start to head back before it gets too late."

Kate nodded in agreement. "Let's go."

------------------

They arrived back at the camp some time later to find Claire sitting happily beside Charlie who was strumming on his guitar. Sayid was stirring the coals of what was supposed to be a fire. It was apprently Sun's time to monitor, so she and Hurley (who was keeping Libby company) were in the hatch. Locke worked on a figure, carving in out Jack figured.

"Oh."Charlie said having finished a song. "Glad to see you two back.Where have you been?"

"Charlie."Claire said, Aaron in her arms.

"Well,they left a few hours ago."He defended.

"It's okay."Jack said, assuring him. "We got a little lost.But we're back."

Kate smiled, holding onto him. "Is he asleep?"She asked, referring to Aaron.

"Not yet."Claire whispered. "The storm we had earlier kept him awake, he was scared a bit."

"Jack if you do not mind I would like your help with something."Sayid said. "Once we head back to the hatch, I found something that I believe could help us."

"A trasmitter?"Jack asked.

"An old one-but it looks as if it is in good condition.Anyhow-if you are headed that way now, I suppose I could go."

Jack looked to Kate to see if she would mind. After they ate dinner, the three decided to bid everyone goodbye and head to the hatch.

Kate decided to take a shower a check in with Sun, Libby and Shannon before retiring to her room down the hall. It had been a tough day, so her lassitude was starting to reveal itself. She didn't make much of an excuse other than to say 'good night'.

It was some time later before she heard anyone else. Jack slowly edged into the room, quietly shutting the door. "Hey."She whispered.

"I thought you were asleep."

"So you were planning to watch me while I was sleeping?"

Jack smiled, knowing he had been caught. Truthfully, in the past few weeks he had spent a portion of his time watching her sleep, watching for the slightest glitch in her breathing. Wrapping his arm around her, Jack wanted to be sure she was okay.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"He replied, breathing in the scent of her hair, still damp from her shower.

Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought while fighting off a yawn. "Good night."

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**It's not exactly what I planned it to be, and there wasn't much that changed-basically Jack and Kate growing more comfortable with the idea that yes, they love each other. Trust me...the new chapter will be up much sooner next time. So...Review, please!**


	12. Everything's Just Fine

**Author's Note:Wow, I know it's been a while, and to be honest I don't really have a straight answer as to why. Truth is, I knew that this chapter was supposed to be the end, and I didn't know how to end it. I racked my mind again and again, I tried writing and re-writing. Well, here it is. It's the end, it's sad in some ways, cool in others. If you're lucky, there might be an epilogue, or a sequel. Anyway, do what us Jaters do best-read and review! (Oh, and there is one scene in here that i'm not too sure about, but I think it went well. Thanks to TotallyLost,Kate and Michelle for giving me ideas...**

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The weeks that followed, Kate continued to grow strength as her and Jack grew closer. Everyone eventually moved out of the hatch and back to the camp, something that those who hadn't resided in the hatch were happy about-it was so much more lively. Claire and Charlie continued their relationship, as did Shannon and Sayid. As far as Libby and Hurley went, noone was quite sure.

Soon, the weeks turned into months, and Jack and Kate were practically inseperable. Anywhere that Jack went, Kate was always nearby. Though Jack insisted that he wasn't worried, there was always a small thought lingering in the back of his mind that something would happen. But she was happy, and so was he. The two grew closer, and truth be known she had been staying in his tent.They continued their walks into the jungle, often for several hours. So, it could be said they were inseperable.

Kate awoke that morning, a smile on her face. She felt Jack holding her close, something that she couldn't help but feel safe about. Sighing in content, she settled back safely. She didn't know what it was about him-but she knew she loved him. She smelled something outside, and felt an instant hunger overcome her. Carefully lifting Jack's arm from over her, Kate slipped out of the tent. Outside, she came upon Charlie and Claire sitting around a makeshift fire. ''What's that?"She asked, fighting back a yawn.

"Fish.Charlie caught some this morning. Do you want some?"Claire asked, prior to realizing how awkward the question was. "I'm..sorry.You're-"

"No.It's okay.If there's any left. "Kate said, taking a piece.

Charlie and Claire exchanged a glance. "I thought you didn't eat fish."

Kate paused, a bite in her mouth. "I'm hungry."

Jack awoke hearing laughter outside of the tent. "What's goin' on, folks?"He said, climbing out of the tent.

"Kate's eating fish."

"Kate's eating fish?"

"I was hungry."She said, now beginning to feel sick.

"You okay?"Jack asked.

Kate smiled, pushing her hair out of her face. "Yeah, i'm fine."

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Later, Kate sitting by the water when Sun approached her. "Kate?...I know you wanted time alone but-"

"No, it's fine."Kate said, wiping water droplets off of her face. "What do you need?"

"I was wanting to speak with you.Do you have a minute?"

"Of course."

"Everything has been happening lately.Quickly, for that matter.I guess I-I just wanted to know what you thought about it.Sayid has been talking about building another boat.Or a raft. Have you heard anything?"

Kate nodded in agreement. "I've heard,yes but-why?"

Sun shrugged, sitting in the sand next to her. "I just-Do you ever get the feeling that maybe life would be better if we stay on this island?I mean sure, we have life outside of here. But what if when we go back-"

"There's nothing there."Kate said,staring back at the other woman. Truth be told, she had been thinking a great deal about it. She had wanted to escape but at the same time, wished she could stay on the island. Just thinking about it sent a rush of nausea through her.

"Are you alright?"Sun asked.

"Um yeah, I'm fine.Do you know where Jack is?"Kate replied.

Sun smiled, moving the hair out of her face. "Last time I saw him he was in the hatch with Sayid."

Kate got up, brushing off her knees. "Thanks."

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"All I'm trying to say is that it doesn't make sense.Okay?...Look what happened the last time we built a raft.We don't know what we're up against here.We're gonna need something stronger."Jack said.

Sayid nodded. "You are right.We are going to have to find metal scraps-there have to be some left over from the plane around here. It will not be enough, Jack. We have been on this island long enough.The longer we wait, the longer-"

"I know,Sayid.I just-"Jack spotted Kate in the doorway. "Kate."

She smiled sheepishly, eyes averting from his. "I was interrupting.I'm sorry I should-"

"No,No.It's alright."Sayid assured. ''Did you want me to speak with Locke about it?Perhaps he could come up with a solution."

Jack nodded. "That's fine."

Sayid nodded in agreement and left. "What's wrong?"Jack asked, seeing the look on Kate's face.

"Nothing."She said firmly. "I'm...fine.I'm worried about you, though."

Jack frowned, sitting next to the computer. "Why would you be worried about me?"

"With this whole thing about getting off the island-I mean, I know you want to leave.But if...if you go,I'll want to go and-"

"You'll stay here until we get help.It'll be fine, Kate."Jack assured her. Standing up, Jack walked towards her. "It's gonna be okay."

Kate nodded, knowing that what he said was right. However, there was still a nagging somewhere in her mind. Something that was telling her that something wasn't right.

"Hey-When's the last time you ate?"

She let out an exhausted laugh, pushing her hair out of her face. "It's been almost three months, Jack.You don't have to monitor me anymore."

"I'm not.But this-"Jack stopped, wetting his lips. "Whatever we are...it means that I'm entitled to worry about you, okay?"

A crooked smile formed on Kate's lips as she shook her head. "That's an interesting way to put it."

"What?"

"Nothing, Jack.It's just-"Kate stopped, not sure where she wanted the conversation to go.

"It's just what?"

"What exactly are we, Jack?I mean, if we were anywhere other than here...as in civilization-this would be considered dating.And Me-well, I'm not exactly the type to-"

"What are you talking about?"Jack asked, wondering what Kate was talking about.

"Come on,Jack.Don't act like you don't know.Okay?The...The sleeping in the tent.The long walks into the jungle.The sitting on the same...log by the campfire.The whole...sneaking off into the caves.The whole-"

Jack rested his finger on her lips. "I get it."

Kate tried to speak, but was unable to find words. She saw him standing before her. She saw the eyes, assuring her. She felt his frim hand grasping her shoulder. It was going to be okay. It had to be.

She nodded, leaning her forehead on his. "How long until the alarm goes off?"She asked.

"It just went off a few minutes before you came in.Why?"

-----------------

On the beach, everything seemed to be going well. Sayid and Locke were discussing the matter of another raft. Or better yet, a makeshift boat. Claire was trying her best to feed baby Aaron. Saywer was trying his best to fish, Jin at his side. Sun and Shannon were sitting listening to Charlie practice playing his guitar. And Hurley was focusing his energy on writing something-as to what, noone was sure. Libby was, at best, attempting to read what he was writing while at the same time, monitoring the skies-it appeared as if it was going to be another rainy day on the island.

Hurley looked up from what he had been writing. "Dude-what is it lately.Seems like every day it rains around here."

Shannon laughed, watching Sawyer's feebled attempt at catching fish. "Looks like we'll have to get used to it."

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It was late afternoon before Kate and Jack were seen again-a fact everyone pretended they didn't notice.

"So...everyone-"Claire said, smiling. "Charlie has a new song."

Everyone had gathered around the campfire by the caves, content in eating whatever it was they could gather.

"You gonna play it?"Saywer asked, pretending to care.

"Are you going to finish explaining?"Charlie asked Claire who at present had just sat next to him.

She smiled a little, shrugging. "Just play...really."

Kate snuggled close to Jack, leaning her head on his shoulder. She relaxed as she felt his arm wrap around her.

Charlie finished his song before anyone had said anything, and it was good timing,too. Because right then the rain that had been threatening them began to fall. Light at first, but then harder-the group quickly found their way into the caves.

"Is everyone alright?..."Hurley asked.

"Yeah.Just a little wet."Jack said.

Kate scanned the cave, seeing the faces around her. She tried to keep standing, she tried to keep her composure, but knew better. She had to sit down. Claire spotted her, and ran towards her, catching her arm. "Are you okay?"She asked.

Kate shook her head, sighing. "I wish people would stop asking me that.I'm fine."

Claire sighed, knowing it was a lie. She knew Kate, and knew how well she could put up a fake front. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what was going on.

"I'm sorry.I just-"

"It's fine."Claire assured. "Do you need anything?"

Kate buried her face in her hands, trying to remain quiet. "I'm gonna vomit."

"You're _sick_?"Claire said, scanning the cave for Jack-who at present was speaking with Locke and Sayid. "Do you want me to get-"

"No.I don't need Jack right now. I just need-"Kate got up in a hurry, running outside. In a fury of coughing and crying, she leaned against the tree, throwing the contents of the day up.

It wasn't long before she felt Jack at her side. "Kate?"He said, handing her a bottle of water and a towel.

"Thanks."She said, wiping at her face, ignoring the rain that pelted them. She swished water in her mouth before spitting it out on the ground.

Jack's hand rested on her cheek, wiping away a smudge of dirt. "Kate?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine.How long have you been like this?"He said, concern laced through his voice. Though he wouldn't mention it, the thought of some sort of relapse came to mind.

Kate stared at the ground not willing to look into his eyes. She didn't want to see the look that she knew was there.

"Kate?"

"A week or two.I figured it was just a cold at first.But now..."

Jack looked back to the cave to monitor what was happening there. Claire had been standing in the doorway, but once she realized they needed a moment, she had returned to the cave. "Just a cold,Kate?What other symptoms do you have?"

She took a deep breath, staring back at him. "I don't need you to tell me what you think it is.I...I already know."

"You do?"

Kate nodded, feeling her tears mix with the rain. "I just don't know what to do.I mean-I don't know how to do this..this thing that i'm supposed to do now."

Jack stared back at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?You've seemed kinda off lately, but other than that i'm sure you're fine. Maybe we can get Sawyer to let us look in the meds."

"I don't need medicine.Well, I do but-"Kate sighed, walking away from him. She knew he'd follow her, but she couldn't deal with it-the one thing that she had dreamed of, but at the same time always wanted to avoid. She knew she had love with Jack, that she was willing to accept. But this?She thought, wiping furious at her tears.

"Kate, if something's wrong with you, you need to tell me."He said, walking towards her. "Don't you trust me?"

She stiffened as his words echoed through her. Turning towards him, she saw the questions lingering in his eyes. It was in that moment that she knew she had to tell him. "I'm pregnant, Jack.Atleast I think I am. And I just...I can't be. Atleast not now. But i'm late. I've never been late. We...we're just getting close again. I know you love me.But a baby, Jack?"She cried. "I don't know how to be a mother.I don't know how to...to know all of these things that I'm supposed to."

They stood in silence as she sobbed, Jack trying to process what she was saying. He knew that there was a chance the way things had been going lately. He was surprised to say the least, but relieved that it wasn't anything bad. Wrapping his arms around her, Jack whispered her name. "It's okay."

"No, it's not, Jack. Because once we get off this island-they'll pick me up. What's it gonna look like if i'm..."

"We'll get through this-"

"You don't know that, Jack.You don't...know that."Kate said, willing herself to calm down.

"I love you.Kate?...I...Love...You.And if it is true...if you are-I'll help you.Claire can help you too,i'm sure. You have friends. You have me.You'll get through this...We'll get through this.When you were sick-I was scared.I thought sometimes that you wouldn't make it through...but you did.And if you think i'm giving up on you now-"

"We'll get through this."Kate whispered, more to herself than to him.

Jack nodded. "Yeah.We will."

Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. All of the waiting, all of the anticipation-it was over. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

He frowned.

"For what?"

Kate smiled, laughing. "For...being you.I love you."

He wiped the hair that had been matted against her face away. "I love you too,Kate." Then, Jack kissed Kate-putting all of the reassurance, all of the love he could into it. He was done with waiting. He was done with pretending. They had a future now. And for him, that's all that mattered. The group hadn't been listening, but had gathered at the mouth of the cave-the rain had stopped. Jack pulled back, sensing they were being watched.

Kate leaned her forehead on his, letting out a satisfied laugh. Regaining her breath, she looked at him. ''We're gonna be okay, right?"

Jack nodded, kissing her again. ''Yeah.We'll be okay."


End file.
